


The Nativity

by PersephoneChthonia



Series: Cycle of Vengeance [7]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Attempted Murder, F/M, Massacre of the Innocents, nativity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27894142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersephoneChthonia/pseuds/PersephoneChthonia
Summary: Telling two mortals that they were going to be the parents to the literal Son of God was the easy part.
Relationships: Joseph/Mary (Bible)
Series: Cycle of Vengeance [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1632856
Comments: 9
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling two mortals that they were going to be the parents to the literal Son of God was the easy part.

_No grand entrances._ This was one of the few rules angels were meant to follow whenever they approached a human. And with good reason. The last time someone made such a bombastic show of God's glory, the human in question nearly died and poor Daniel hadn't been able to sleep for weeks.

It'd taken years for Gabriel to live it down.

 _But not this time!_ Since then, the cherub had taken great care in revealing himself to mortals as subtly as possible while still getting the message across. At least, he _hoped_ he'd been subtle. Ezekiel and Zechariah had seemed like the type of men who kept their opinions to themselves.

"I still think this is a horrible idea!"

If only the same could've been said for the rest of Heaven.

The number of times Michael willingly wanted anything to do with the Metatron after his promotion could be counted on one hand, so when Gabriel looked up from his scroll, he was slightly surprised to see his sister trail closely behind her former apprentice. _Talking about me, no doubt._ It was only natural for the leader of the angels to be anxious today of all days, but was it really too much to ask for her to have just a _little_ faith in him?

The Metatron gave a heavy sigh and stopped walking, looking at Michael like she was nothing more but an annoying fly. "It was not I who assigned a _cherub_ for the job," he said, spitting out the name of Gabriel's rank. "And if you have a problem with it, Michael, perhaps you should take it up with God Herself."

Gabriel rolled his eyes as the Voice of God flew away. This was usual for the Metatron, believing himself to be better than all the other angels just because of his position, as though he _hadn't_ been born human. It was no wonder why he and his brother Sandalphon rarely talked anymore. And even more usual was Michael complaining to her siblings about the youngest seraph's behavior.

_Three, two, one..._

"The nerve of him!" Michael said as she approached Gabriel with undisguised rage.

_I don't know what God was thinking when She made him Her Voice._

"I don't know what God was thinking when She made him Her Voice!"

_Or making him an angel._

"Or making him an angel!"

_He doesn't deserve any of this._

"He doesn't de—Gabriel are you even listening to me?"

The cherub glanced up only briefly, seeing Michael bristling while tapping her foot and hands on her hips. She looked less like a commanding officer and more like an irritated mother who was at her wit's end. "Yeah, I am," he said flatly, not even bothering to fake enthusiasm or concern like he usually did whenever she came to him with this. "I really don't see why you don't just talk to the Almighty about this," he added. "There's no way She'd turn you away."

Any anger that was directed towards him quickly subsided. "I appreciate the suggestion, little one," she said softly; this was what Gabriel had dubbed her 'Big Sister' voice. "But I simply do not wish to burden Her with—I admit—are rather petty complaints."

 _And what does that make_ me _then, huh?_ "Understandable," he said curtly, pretending to be interested in the scroll he must've read over a thousand times by now. He probably wouldn't even need it, but as Raphael always said, it was always good to be prepared.

Michael's shadow loomed over his shoulder. "What are you reading?"

"Mary's history," Gabriel answered. "If I'm going to be her guardian, I might as well be familiar with her life."

Michael's eyes shone with pride. "Look at you, taking initiative," she said, laughing as she patted his head, completely oblivious to Gabriel glaring at her. It'd been like this since the Rebellion, him being treated like he was still a squab. All because he nearly got killed by his own oldest brother. At least Michael wasn't as bad as Raphael, who was often asking him how he was feeling. And Uriel was better than both of them combined, always treating him as an equal without any of the condescension that currently laced Michael's voice.

"It's today, correct?" asked the Archangel excitedly. "Remember not to scare her, alright? And then of course, you must speak with her betrothed—"

"Michael."

"And keep an eye out for any demons—"

"Michael."

"And finally—"

"Michael!" Gabriel gave a sigh of relief when she finally stopped talking. "I _know_ all this. I've been preparing all month."

This did little to sooth her anxiety. "I know you have! It's just... this is really, _really_ important, Gabriel."

"I _know_."

"Yes, well, I'm simply trying to make sure you're aware of what needs to be done."

Gabriel plastered on a tight smile. " _Of course_ , Michael."

Her gaze then grew stern. "And remember—"

"No attachments. Got it."

Beneath the serious expression lay affection. "Very good." Michael then glanced at a map of Israel that was hanging on the wall nearby and kissed her little brother's cheek. "Well, I do believe now is as good a time as any for you to get going. Good luck."

* * *

The angel came to her in a ray of golden light inside her home, soft white wings folded neatly against his back as his linen robe flowed from the breeze coming in through the window. He made sure to keep his face kind and calm as she looked at him with those big dark eyes of hers.

He could do this.

"Be not afraid, Mary," Gabriel began, speaking the standard greeting. "I am—"

"DEMON!"

 _Wait, what?_ "Demon? Where?" Gabriel started to frantically look around the room with wide eyes, but he couldn't even sense any of the malevolent creatures nearby. "My lady, I—" But before he could finish his sentence, he felt something hit his head, followed by getting splashed with water. "Hey!" The angel glanced down to see broken pieces of what he guessed had been a vase before glaring at Mary. "Young mortal, if you would just let me explain!"

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't listening and was continuing to throw everything she could at him.

Gabriel heaved a sigh. If this was how she reacted to an angel coming to her, he hated to think about how she'd react to the Child's fate. _Okay, fine. We'll do this the easy way!_ With a snap of his fingers, everything froze, including the young human before him, just as she was about to throw a bowl. "Listen to me, young lady," he began, and she made a strangled noise through gritted teeth—the only indication that she _was_ indeed listening. "I am the angel Gabriel and I've come bearing news that the Lord has chosen you to carry He— _His_ Child. Now, I'm going to let you go, but _please_ , no more screaming or attacking. Okay?"

She blinked, which was _probably_ supposed to be taken as affirmation.

In an instant, the room was cleaned up and everything was put back to wear it was, and it took Mary a few seconds to catch her balance.

"So," the angel began, once again maintaining a friendly appearance, "any questions?" He expected something like _Why me?_ or _What shall I call the baby?_ or even _Will someone as handsome as you be the family guardian full-time?_

"How can this be, for I am a virgin?"

 _This_ he was not expecting.

"Uh..." He tried to remembered what he knew about human anatomy, but all of it was a giant blur. And of course, that was assuming the Child would even be like normal human children at all. _So if He's part of the Almighty Herself... Gabe, you're a genius!_ "Fear not, Mary," he said in his most serene voice. "For with the Lord, anything is possible. So, do you accept?"

"I... am a handmade of the Lord, angel, but that doesn't really—"

He didn't let her finish and flashed her a grin. "Great! In that case, farewell, young mortal! And congratulations!" And with that, he took off for home, knowing with joy that humans would talk about this for centuries to come.

* * *

"How about this? Gabriel comes in, says the woman has found favor with God and then he'll talk about the Child's importance. She asks how it's going to be possible for her to expect since... well, you know, and then Gabriel says that the Holy Spirit will grant her the ability to conceive."

Michael waved a hand dismissively while slumping in her throne—and she _never_ slumped. "Just write whatever will make us look good, Raziel. Anything to save us from this _embarrassment_!"

"Of course, Your Glory."

Gabriel ducked his head as he felt his cheeks heat up. Had it really been _that_ bad?

The giggling angels before him was enough to confirm it, and the cherub wished he could quiet them somehow. _I'd like to see any of you do better!_ He was _older_ than most of them, for Heaven's sake! Was it really too much to ask for a _little_ respect? "Michael, I _know_ this looks bad, but—"

She raised a hand to indicate silence. "Be still, Gabriel," she said in a voice was just a little _too_ quiet and calm. "I'm not angry."

"Y-you're not?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Of course not. I mean, you not only embarrassed yourself but also all of Heaven, and—oh, yes—there's also the high chance that the other side was watching and are probably still laughing at your folly, but _everyone_ makes mistakes! Well, except God, of course!"

 _God!_ The Creator had been watching, there was no question about it. _Is She disappointed in me, too?_ He couldn't forget the last time he'd done so.

Raphael and Uriel both looked sympathetic, and then the healer said, "Be kind to him, sister."

Uriel nodded in agreement. "Yes, I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten it wrong if the human hadn't attacked him. He did well with Zechariah and Elizabeth, after all."

Gabriel felt grateful towards his siblings, until Michael scoffed and said, "Even more reason, don't you think? You're nearly as old as I, Gabriel. You should know better by now." Then she turned to the head cherub—appropriately named Cherubiel since God had apparently run out of names when creating her—before he could defend himself. "As for _you_ , Cherubiel, I fully expect you to help my brother prepare for when he visits the woman's betrothed."

Cherubiel nodded wordlessly and then beckoned for Gabriel to follow her.

"I messed up, didn't I?" Gabriel asked once the two angels left the room.

"You did," came the blunt response. "But that's okay. What matters is you got the job done."

 _"Barely!"_ And now this day would remembered with a lie, all because Michael was disappointed in him. _At this rate, I'll be stuck as a cherub forever!_

Cherubiel sighed. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Gabriel."

"But Michael—"

" _Forget_ what Michael said." Then Cherubiel smirked. "Between you and me, she should really stop getting her feathers so ruffled and learn to relax sometime."

Gabriel failed to stifle a laugh. He couldn't even remember the last time Michael practiced self-care, or whatever Raphael called it. _Not like she can afford to, though._ Still, was a little more compassion too much to ask? _Ah, well. Things will get better once the Child's born._

_I hope._

* * *

"Now remember, come to him in a dream. Gently, like a breeze."

Gabriel nodded at Cherubiel's words. _Like a breeze. Sure._ Whatever that meant. This wasn't exactly the first time he'd be visiting a human in a dream anyway. And like those other times, it'd been incredibly easy to do after blocking everything out until he was only focused on the sleeping carpenter alone.

And just as Gabriel expected, Joseph's dream included the human cutting planks of wood. Why did God want someone so perfectly boring to be Her Child's father? In fact, why not just have Him be born into _actual_ royalty?

 _We're not meant to question, only obey,_ rang Michael's mantra into his ears.

 _Let's just get this over with._ "Joseph?" Gabriel said with a smile.

The human looked up from his work and smiled back. " _Shalom_ , friend. What can I do for you?"

 _He_ seems _kind, at least._ The Boy would be in good hands, then. "I simply wish to congratulate you on becoming a father! And I'm sure Mary couldn't ask for a better husband."

Joseph's eyes darkened at the mention of his betrothed. "Ah! You know about that?"

Gabriel nodded, not quite understanding why he seemed so upset. Humans loved babies, didn't they? _Oh! Does he think she had an affair?_

"Er... thank you. We are... so very happy by the news."

Well, the man clearly didn't have any sort of future as an actor, that much was certain. "Is there something troubling you?" Gabriel asked.

Joseph let out a short, mirthless laugh. "Am I that transparent? And how exactly do you know Mary?" There was no hiding the suspicion in his tone as he kept on cutting wood, this time a little too harshly.

"Worry not, Joseph," Gabriel said gently. "I'm simply a... friend of the family, let's just say. Though I must say, I'm surprised Zechariah and Elizabeth failed to mention me." Really, it wasn't every day you got visited by an angel.

Joseph stopped his work again. "Elizabeth?" he asked. "Mary's cousin?"

"Same one! And like Mary, I'm sure she'll make a fantastic mother as well."

Now Joseph was looking at him as though he were crazy. "Elizabeth is _with child_? At _her_ age?"

_Rather rude, this one!_

The carpenter sat down and then turned his head towards the ceiling. "My apologies! But this day has been rather... _eventful_."

Gabriel smiled. "Eventful, you say? Such as your betrothed expecting a child that is not yours? And before she has ever even married you at that!"

Joseph was on his feet again, eyes wide. "You must be mistaken, sir!" he said quickly. "Mary would never—"

"There is no need to be alarmed, Joseph," Gabriel said as he drew closer to the human, admiring the carpenter's loyalty towards his future wife. _But I think I put this off long enough._ "And do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has been faithful, and has simply been touched by the Holy Spirit to help her conceive."

Joseph however still looked wary, and Gabriel noticed the man's hand reaching for a hammer. "What did you say your name was again?"

 _And showtime!_ At once, Gabriel let his wings spread while a halo appeared on his head as he folded his hands. "I am the Lord's servant, the angel Gabriel. And _you_ , Joseph, son of David, have been chosen alongside your betrothed Mary to be the Earthly parents of the Lord's Son. You shall name the Child Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Gabriel's words were met with silence as the carpenter gaped at him.

 _Well, this is awkward._ Still, better this than getting a vase thrown at you. "So... got that? Nod your head if you understood."

Joseph did, still staring.

"Great!" Gabriel grinned. "I'll see you later, then!" _How'd you_ _like_ that _, Michael?_

* * *

"Too long."

"Oh, come on!" Was _nothing_ good enough for his sister?

Michael ignored his protest and turned to face Heaven's scribe. "Raziel, how shall we fix this one?"

The archangel tapped his scroll twice. Without looking up, he said, "I think it'd be a good idea for us to keep what Gabriel said to Joseph after revealing himself to be an angel, but _only_ that."

Michael pursed her lips. "Hm. I suppose that's fine. Get to it, then."

"Right away, Your Glory."

As the archangel left, Gabriel could've sworn Raziel had given him a sympathetic glance. Someone was on his side, at least. Even if it _was_ a lesser angel.

"The rest of you, tend to your duties. We have only nine months before the Child is born and I want everything to be _perfect_."

The other leaders nodded like the obedient soldiers that they were before leaving Michael and Gabriel alone.

"I thought it was fine," muttered the younger angel.

Michael smiled tightly and patted her brother's head. "Of course you did, dear."

Gabriel stifled his irritation. He had no right to get angry with his oldest sister—his _commander_. _She's_ _only_ _doing what's best for us,_ he thought as he followed her out of the room. What a heavy burden it must be to be in charge of so many angels at once.

"So, where's Cherubiel?" He hadn't seen her since before he went into Joseph's dream.

Michael almost seemed amused at Gabriel's attempt to change the subject. "Out demon hunting with Raphael. Apparently there's been some malevolent activity near Judea and I wanted them to check it out. You can still catch up with them, I think."

"Oh... uh... no thanks. I'm good."

Michael frowned. "You're going to have to confront a demon sooner or later, little brother. Everyone else has. And when your cause is just—"

"—do not hesitate to strike the foe. I know." _But_ _I'm_ not _everyone else!_ Gabriel thought bitterly. Even then, he didn't think what Michael said was entirely accurate anyway. No one in the third sphere had ever even reported _seeing_ a demon. Or maybe it was just his siblings who liked to boast about their accomplishments.

Before either of them could speak again, he saw Cherubiel and Raphael coming their way, and gulped when he saw their swords were dripping with a dark liquid. It was too dark to be mortal blood, which only meant it had to have belonged to a demon's.

Raphael must've noticed how uncomfortable the sight was making Gabriel feel, as his sword was suddenly clean again soon after.

 _Thank you,_ Gabriel thought, relieved.

Cherubiel however remained completely oblivious. "Two demons," she said curtly. "One got away, but we managed to kill the other."

"Got away?" Michael turned to Raphael. "Explain."

Raphael slightly twitched. "It's as Cherubiel said, sister," he began. "The other demon escaped. I'm not sure what you're confused about."

 _Here we go._ Ever since the Second Fall, Raphael was probably the only angel in Heaven still bold enough to stand up to Michael and not risk punishment. Gabriel still wasn't sure if that made his brother incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.

"What confuses me, _brother_ , is how even a single demon could've escaped on your watch." Laughing, she added, "You _are_ supposed to be our second best hunter, are you not?"

"You dare question my abilities?"

"Of course I dare. How else are we to ensure Hell's defeat if I don't push you?"

"You are only too kind, sister."

Ignoring Raphael's sarcasm, Michael turned back to Cherubiel. "Why don't you tell me all about what happened in private? Brothers, you two will be on conception duty for the remainder of the night."

 _Conception duty?_ Gabriel withheld a groan. "Yes, Michael," he said while Raphael nodded wordlessly. And it wasn't that he hated looking after nearly born souls and taking them to their new mothers, but the job got quite boring after awhile, unlike his role as a messenger. _Wait for soul to ripen, pluck them from Tree of Life, deliver it to expectant, rinse and repeat._

"Come, Gabriel," Raphael said, already walking ahead of his brother. "We don't want to upset the crotchety crow."

Gabriel allowed himself to laugh, grateful that Michael wasn't around to hear either of them. "Stop being mean! Michael's only trying to do what's best for us."

"What's best for _her_ , maybe." Then the Archangel smiled and kissed Gabriel's cheek. "But enough about our sister. How did it go with Joseph?"

Gabriel hesitated. Raphael had defended him earlier with Mary, but he didn't want to make it seem like he was complaining, either. "Fine, I guess," he said at last. "No screaming this time, at least."

"You don't sound very happy." Placing a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, he added, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Gabriel glanced down. "I know. But it's fine. Really." _I'm just being too sensitive._ Forcing a grin, he added, "Now, let's go care for some new souls!"

* * *

Conception was as busy as ever, with angels either talking or singing as they milled about the seemingly endless room, and all of them carried tiny bright orbs in their hands and baskets. Souls. All done under the watchful eye of Lailah, who stood just behind the giant plant, its branches extending to all parts of the room as sunlight filtered in through the windows.

The night angel smiled and bowed her head as soon as Raphael and Gabriel entered. "Greetings to you both," she said. "And Gabriel, I was wondering if you were going to come tonight."

"Y-you were?" Gabriel silently cursed himself when he felt his cheeks heat up. How many angels knew about what had occurred earlier today?

But Lailah simply nodded and then presented him with a soul orb, one much larger and brighter than all the others. "The Holy Spirit delivered this earlier today, but I wanted you to do the honors."

Gabriel's eyes widened as he took the orb into his hand, and he immediately sensed immense warmth and love coming from it. "Is this...?" _I thought Raziel made it up!_ Though in hindsight, perhaps he _should've_ expected for Them to get involved somehow. _The Child is Divine, for God's sake!_

Lailah grinned and began pushing him towards a small pool in front of the Tree. "Go on and deliver Him!"

"O-okay!" _No big deal,_ he told himself. _You're just literally carrying the Son's life in your hands. You can do this. You can do this!_ He'd done this a million times already, and Mary's image would appear in the water soon. There was nothing to feel anxious about.

Well, nothing except for several pairs of eyes belonging to more than seventy childbed and fertility angels staring at him.

Silently judging him.

Whispering why _he_ of all angels had been chosen to announce the birth of the Savior rather than any of his older siblings. They would've done a much better job at it, surely.

Perhaps this was why Michael had been so hard on him earlier.

"Gabriel." Lailah's soft voice startled him. "It's time, dear. Go on."

The cherub felt his cheeks heat up again. "Er, right. Of course." Mary was sleeping when he looked into the pool, but from the way she was tossing and turning, it wasn't sound. Gently placing the soul into the water, the angel closed his eyes and said a quiet prayer for the expecting virgin. _May thoughts of your future child ease you into pleasant dreams._ Both the orb and Mary were gone by the time he reopened them.

Clapping sounded behind him following the latest conception—scattered at first, but then the crowd broke into rapturous cheers. All for _him_. So maybe today wasn't so bad after all. If Michael couldn't be proud of them, then at least the other angels were.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so because I want to get this done before/on Christmas, there likely won't be any set schedule for this one, so here's the next chapter! 
> 
> Also, speaking of the Nativity, I just found out that there's a new musical about it called [Gabriel](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/BWW-Review-GABRIEL-Studio-Cast-Recording-20201203), and it sounds really pretty based on the [one song](https://youtu.be/GK1qtqPr3Is) I've heard. Me being a musical fan of course means I'm going to check out the rest of the album once it officially comes out next week.

"A _field agent_?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Gabriel."

"I'm not being dramatic, I just don't understand why you're thinking of replacing me!" Did Michael really think so little of him?

In the month since the Annunciation, Rome had called for a census and each man would have to travel to his family home to be counted; in Joseph's case, that would be Bethlehem—at least a week's journey away from Nazareth. Naturally, Gabriel had been more than ready to go with him and Mary, but Michael had other plans.

"Michael, please!" _Please let_ _me_ _prove myself to you._

Michael suddenly stopped walking, causing Gabriel to nearly bump into her. "Why do you want this so badly?" she asked. "Gabriel, you're more likely to accidentally let the humans starve to death because you're so revolted by their food."

"That's not true at all!" Now she was just being dramatic. "Besides, God assigned _me_ to be their guardian, remember?"

"Yes, and look how well you've been doing!" She proceeded to walk away again, and he once again followed close behind. "And anyway, both the Metatron and I have agreed that you're simply not ready for such an important task."

 _The... what?_ Gabriel ran up ahead of her to block her path. "You and the _Metatron_ agreed I'm not fit for this?" he asked in disbelief.

Michael shrugged. "I know, I can't believe I agreed with him on anything, either."

"You _know_ that's not what I meant!" What about God? What did _She_ have to say about this? "Did the Almighty agree to this, too?"

"The Metatron is Her voice, isn't he?" The bitterness towards her former apprentice returned. Beginning to move past Gabriel, she said, "Now get out of my way, little brother. I have too much work to do and I simply don't have time to hear any more of this selfishness of yours."

 _"Selfishness!?"_ Gabriel froze. "That's not fair, Michael! I just want another chance to make you proud of me."

Michael stopped again, and there was a look of surprise on her face when she turned her head. "Oh, Gabriel," she said, her face softening as she approached him. "I'm already proud of you. I'm sorry if I made it seem like I wasn't, but you must understand the amount of stress that I'm under right now."

Gabriel nodded, shame washing over him. "I-I understand," he said. Maybe he really _was_ selfish. "I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright," came the gentle reply. "But now do you see why I can't allow you to be their guardian?"

Another nod, this one more reluctantly.

"Good!" She grinned. "Now, please excuse me. You just go on and do... whatever it was you were doing before all this."

He didn't bother following her this time.

* * *

Lailah was the first to notice Gabriel when he entered Conception while the others were busy plucking ripe souls from the Tree. Basket in hand, she moved away from the large plant until she reached him at the door. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Are you on shift today?"

Gabriel shook his head, trying not to feel offended. _It's a fair question._ "I have nothing better to do today, so I thought I'd just come here," he explained. "Though it doesn't look like I'm needed here, either." He looked around for a few seconds; everyone seemed to be doing just fine without him, and not a single one spared him even a passing glance. Had his greatest deeds been forgotten so quickly?

Lailah still looked confused. "Oh. But what about Family? Aren't Mary and Joseph supposed to be heading for Bethlehem soon?"

Gabriel frowned. "They are, but _I'm_ not allowed to accompany them!"

Lailah's eyes widened. "Michael?"

"Michael."

The night angel sighed. "Have you talked to Cherubiel about this? Or Raphael and Uriel?"

Gabriel scoffed. "What could they possibly do?" Cherubiel may be able to mock Michael in private, but both she and Uriel were still nothing but loyal to their commander. Meanwhile, Raphael would probably just make things worse. "I already tried speaking to her anyway, and it's not like the humans will be without an angel to protect them." _An angel that should be_ me _!_

"Oh?"

"Some field agent, apparently." Landing his gaze on Lailah's basket, Gabriel asked, "So, _is_ there anything I can help you with?"

Lailah shook her head, though she looked sympathetic while doing so. "Sorry. We're all good here." She paused as she glanced at the other angels and turned back to him, and then her face broke out in a grin. "Although, Raphael and I _will_ be heading down to Earth later on to check on the mother. Why don't you come with us?"

"Really?" The offer was certainly tempting, but... "I-I can't disobey Michael."

"And you won't be!" Lailah insisted. "Michael only said you couldn't act as their guardian, right? So, go down there as a conception angel. You'll be fine."

 _Well, when you put it that way..._ Technically, he wouldn't be going against orders. And besides, four angels were better than one, right? _Right!_ "Okay!" Gabriel said at last, joy warming his chest. "Yeah. I'll come with you."

* * *

"Eating well, my lady?"

"Yes, Lailah."

"Sleeping well?"

"Yes, Raphael."

Gabriel stood to the side as Mary answered question after question regarding her health. No longer did she seem afraid of celestial beings entering her home, instead having greeted them with a polite smile and calm demeanor. Or maybe she was just really good at hiding her feelings when she made an effort.

The same couldn't be said for Joseph, who'd married Mary not long after the Annunciation and, for whatever reason, had been suspicious of the angels since their arrival. "How long will this take?" he asked impatiently. "I was hoping to get a move on today."

"In a minute, Joseph," Raphael said while still examining Mary. Lailah meanwhile simply waved her hand, as though to swat the carpenter away despite him not even being near her.

 _Poor guy._ Maybe God really _should've_ chosen another couple for this. "We'll leave as soon as the field agent gets here," Gabriel said softly. If _he gets here._ Replaced by a lesser angel who couldn't even bother to at least be punctual. _Unbelievable!_ But at least it gave Raphael and Lailah more time to be sure of Mary's condition before they set off.

"Speaking of, just who _is_ the field agent that will be accompanying us today?" Lailah asked.

Raphael shrugged as he touched Mary's forehead. "I don't know, some principality, I think? Azrafel or something."

Gabriel perked up. "Aziraphale?"

"Yes, that's him!"

 _At least it's someone I'm acquainted with._ He didn't know Aziraphale well, but he still knew enough to know that the principality had not only been a decent fighter during the Great War, but a good healer in its aftermath as well. So Mary would be in good hands. _Still, how is it that Raphael can't even remember the name of one of his own angels?_

Lailah voiced his thoughts aloud. "One of your angels, right, Raph? Rather sad you can't remember his name."

"Do _you_ know the names of every single angel in your sphere, Lailah?" Raphael asked.

"Well, no, but—"

"Then I suggest you don't judge."

Lailah grumbled under her breath, but something must've caught her eye, as she glanced at the window. "By any chance, is Aziraphale the one with the fluffy hair?"

 _Sounds like him!_ Gabriel followed her gaze and noticed an out-of-breath, man-shaped being coming their way. Indeed, Aziraphale hadn't changed his appearance one bit in the centuries since they last saw each other.

"So... so sorry I'm late!" the principality said between pants once Gabriel opened the door for him. "I was in Bethlehem, ready to make reservations for the inn, and then Michael said to come here, and—"

"It's fine," Raphael told him as the healer gathered up his medical supplies. "You're here now, and I'm just about done checking up on Mary." Facing Aziraphale at last, he added sternly, "Just make sure this doesn't happen again."

Aziraphale nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "Of course."

"Good. Now—" he tilted his head in Mary's direction—"get to know your new charge. Joseph, you'll ready the donkey in the meantime. Lailah, come with me to scout the area. We need to make sure no demons follow us."

"Wait, what about me?" Gabriel asked as his brother and co-worker neared the door. Had they forgotten he was even in the room?

"Oh, uh..." Raphael glanced at Lailah. For a second, he almost looked irritated. "Just stay here until we get back, okay?" They left before Gabriel could say anything else.

 _Stay here. Sure._ Even his own brother thought he was useless. Leaning against the wall, he saw that Aziraphale and Mary were already deep in conversation, and the woman seemed much more relaxed than she'd ever been whenever she spoke to Gabriel. _I'm being shown up by a_ principality _!_

A tardy, insignificant principality. He'd officially hit rock bottom.

 _Envy is a sin,_ Gabriel told himself as he tried to calm down. It wasn't Aziraphale's fault that Michael was so hard to please. _And besides, there'll be other assignments._ But there was only one Son of God, and the Almighty tasked _him_ to take care of Her only Child. And if She had really been so disappointed in him, why couldn't She had at least spoken with him about it first?

 _Stop questioning!_ What would Michael say if she knew what he was thinking? All that mattered was that _someone_ was protecting the Baby. He should just be grateful over getting the chance to still accompany the Family to their destination at all.

Mary's laugh soon broke him out of his thoughts.

"What's so funny?" Gabriel asked, hating the suspicion in his voice. _I'm turning into Joseph!_

It was Mary who answered, seeming unfazed by his tone. "Oh, I was just telling Aziraphale about how we met," she said between laughs. "In hindsight, I suppose it _was_ rather silly to be so afraid of you. Did I ever apologize for attacking you? If I didn't, then I'm very sorry."

Gabriel's mouth twitched and he then forced out a laugh of his own. "Don't worry about it! We all make mistakes!" _Of course, your little freak-out ended up costing me a good reputation, but whatever!_

"Is it true that she threw a vase at you?" Aziraphale asked. "I hope you weren't hurt too badly."

Gabriel glared at him and was about to snap at the field agent and tell him to mind his own, but then he noticed that Aziraphale didn't seem amused at all. No mockery had laced the younger angel's tone, either.

This was pity.

A _principality_ was pitying _him_.

Was there anything more pathetic?

"Like I said, don't worry about it."

Aziraphale almost looked like he wanted to press further, but must've thought better of it and then nodded. "Of course."

As though noticing the tension, Mary smiled and said, "Well, I'm so glad we're able to put that aside! And I feel even more pleased to have two wonderful guardian angels by my side."

 _Wait, two?_ "Oh, I'm not—"

"Well, Gabriel and I are more than happy to be of service, my lady!" Aziraphale looked at the cherub and gave a smile of his own. "Er, aren't we, Gabriel?"

What was this angel doing? _I don't_ _need_ _your help!_ Still, who was he to deny praise, especially when it was coming from someone so important? "That we are!" he said at last. "We'll be here to get you whatever you need." This wasn't a lie. _Technically_ , he was still her guardian, wasn't he? And the same went for Raphael and Lailah.

Joseph came back a moment later. "Right. Donkey's ready, I think we have everything we need, and Raphael and Lailah have said that it's safe to travel now."

"Thank you, Joseph," said Gabriel. He then turned to Mary and held out a hand. "Are you ready, my lady?"

She took it as she stood, a spark in her eyes. "As I'll ever be."

* * *

The road was easy for the four angels—no evil Romans or demons in sight, and the only thing they had to worry about was Mary's health. She'd always insisted she was fine, aside from the occasional morning sickness, but humans were such fragile beings that there was really never any telling with them.

"Your turn, Lailah," Raphael said once his turn to watch over Mary was up, only indicated by the setting sun; the head conception angel always took the night shift.

Lailah immediately took Gabriel's place to walk beside Mary while the cherub awkwardly led the donkey with Joseph and Raphael. In the three days since they started traveling, Gabriel had since learned that the carpenter wasn't really much of a talker.

 _It'd be better if we could just_ transport _to Bethlehem,_ thought the cherub. But he knew better than to waste miracles, and besides, what if doing so affected the Baby in some way? _Just four more days._ Four more days, and then he'd be back Upstairs while _Aziraphale_ tended to the Family until the Son came of age.

"It's not his fault," Gabriel quietly told himself.

He wasn't expecting a reply, least of all from Joseph. "I know it's not," he said, his voice just as soft. "Children are innocent, and I'm sure God has His reasons, but it still would've nice if He'd informed me of this before He impregnated my _wife_!"

Gabriel stared at him, not sure whether to feel relieved or disturbed that he had something in common with the carpenter. "Um..."

"And I don't mean to sound blasphemous, angel. Really, I don't, but—"

"Joseph. I... wasn't talking to you."

Joseph paused and it almost seemed like his face was beginning to turn red. "Er, yes. Of course you weren't. I knew that."

"Be mindful of your feelings, you two," Raphael said in a soft, yet stern voice. "It's normal to feel envious of someone, but—"

"Envious?" Joseph echoed. "I assure you, I feel no such thing."

Raphael raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak again, until Mary said in delight, "Oh, look, cherries! Joseph, may you pluck them from me?"

The carpenter snapped his head towards his wife. "Why don't you ask the Child's father to pluck them for you instead?" he snapped, and regret immediately etched his face.

 _Oh yeah, definitely not jealous._ Gabriel didn't bother listening to Mary's response and instead turned his attention to the nearby orchard. There were berries abound in the shrubs and trees, with the tallest of them being a cherry tree. And not a single apple in sight. _Thank God._ "I'll get them," he muttered, not really caring who heard.

But before Gabriel could even take another step, one of the tree's branches suddenly began to bend down. _What in the world?_ He glanced back at his fellow angels, who were all too busy either scolding Joseph or trying to mediate the situation to notice what had just happened. So it couldn't have been them, either.

_Are you there, God?_

No answer. As usual. But at least he knew She was watching.

Miracling a basket, Gabriel quickly went over to the branch and began to pick the red berries one by one, and he almost found himself hoping that Michael was watching as well. Soon, the basket was full and he went back to take the fruit to Mary. "Here you go, my lady," he said, presenting the basket to the young woman, and this fortunately got the others to stop talking as well.

Mary's face lit up upon seeing her request fulfilled. "Oh, thank you!" she gushed and then took the basket from him. Inclining her head, she added, "Did you have to bend the branch, though?"

"I swear, that wasn't me!" Gabriel said while everyone else followed her gaze. "It must've been God."

"God?" Aziraphale's eyes stretched widely.

Mary shook her head as Joseph moved closer to her. "Oh, no. I'm sorry, I meant to speak to the Babe. I felt Him lower the branch, and—"

"Wait, you _what_?" Lailah immediately placed a hand on the woman's stomach and then her face paled as she quickly removed it. "Oh, dear."

"That's impossible," Raphael said softly. "He shouldn't even be developing consciousness yet, let alone hands or feet. And it's only been a month, and..." The healer trailed off, looking visibly disturbed. And perhaps rightfully so. Because if this continued, they wouldn't need to wait eight more months for their future king to arrive.

"The Child _is_ Divine..." Aziraphale gently pointed out, and there seemed to be a mix of worry and excitement on his face. "Shall we simply teleport to Bethlehem?"

"No!" Raphael snapped. "No more miracles, not unless it's neccessary! We just have four more days of travel until we reach our destination." Briefly glancing at the sky, he added, "However, I suppose this _would_ be a good time as any to rest."

Mary and Joseph both looked wary about the idea, but neither of them protested. Instead, the carpenter helped his wife dismount the donkey and they went into the orchard together, Aziraphale trailing not far behind with the animal.

"You two keep an eye out for any demons," Raphael said to Gabriel and Lailah. "I'll go tell Michael about this."

The two angels nodded in unison and summoned their swords as Raphael left for Heaven. They likely wouldn't be needing them anyway, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"He'll be born soon," Lailah said softly. "You don't suppose His growth will be quick as well?"

"I hope not," Gabriel replied. "He's going to become very important in the future, but He deserves to just have a normal childhood first." It was a luxury angels weren't allowed to have, not anymore. So why shouldn't Her own Son get the opportunity?

Lailah briefly glanced at the orchard. "Does she know? About His fate, I mean."

Gabriel shook his head. "I was too busy dodging her attacks to tell her," he said dryly. "And besides, we wouldn't want to stress her, would we? Now that she's actually expecting and all."

"Hm. I suppose." She paused for a moment before continuing. "It's just sad, you know? That He'll die young and nothing will change."

"You can't know that!" Why was Lailah saying such things? "Okay, He'll die young, but it's for a good cause and—"

"And demons will still be causing trouble until the Final Battle comes!" Lailah's eyes flashed gold for a quick second, which caused Gabriel to take a step back, and he swore he saw the shadows behind her move. Sighing, she added, "I'm sorry, Gabriel." She sounded genuine. "I didn't mean to get angry."

Gabriel frowned and pulled her closer to him. "It's okay," he murmured while stroking her black hair. "It's unfair, I know, but it's not like we can change His destiny."

"He's right, Lailah."

Gabriel lifted his head to see Cherubiel standing before him, and he quickly greeted his supervisor with a hug after stepping away from Lailah. "What are you doing here?" he asked soon after.

"What, can't I check up on my favorite angel?" she teased. After laughing and messing up Gabriel's hair for a bit, she said, "But really, Raphael sent me down here while he deals with Michael. Is it true what he said about Mary giving birth soon?"

"Well, that's our theory," Lailah said with disappointment. "Hopefully we're wrong, but... well, stranger things have happened when Heaven gets involved, right?"

 _I'm not sure if you can_ get _any stranger than this!_ "How's Michael taking it?"

"How do you think?" Cherubiel deadpanned. "Raziel says we're all going to have to start working overtime for the next few days. Usually I wouldn't believe anything he says, but you know how Michael is." Turning to Lailah, she said, "Why don't you go check on Mary, alright? I'll stay here with Gabriel."

Lailah hesitated and glanced at Gabriel, almost as though she were seeking his approval.

"Go on," he said. "We'll talk later."

The night angel soon nodded and kissed his cheek before leaving him and Cherubiel alone.

"So..." Cherubiel began to smirk. "You and Lailah, huh?"

"Huh?" It took only a few seconds for him to catch her meaning. "Oh, God no!" Gabriel shook his head as heat rushed to his cheeks. Lailah was pretty and had always been nothing but kind to him, but she was a friend and nothing more.

There was amusement in the head cherub's eyes. "Are you sure? You were both in a rather compromising position just now."

"We were hugging!"

"Which means you're just one step closer to partnership!"

Gabriel groaned and his face in his hands. He knew his supervisor was only joking, but this didn't make it any less embarrassing. "You're just going to be teasing me all night, aren't you?"

"Probably. Or at least until I get bored."

"I hate you."

"I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to anyone who got the reference with the cherry tree!


	3. Chapter 3

Cherubiel returned to Heaven by dawn, and Gabriel had since come to regret he didn't ask her to stay. Mary's stomach had grown much larger since last night, and as such, Raphael, Lailah, and Aziraphale were all being particularly attentive of her today.

"More cherries, my lady?"

"Do you feel tired? Nauseous?"

"Have you felt the baby kick again?"

Mary shook her head to each question, seeming more annoyed than appreciative now. "I'm _fine_ , angels," she said tersely. "You need not worry for me every second of the day."

Aziraphale frowned. "Our apologies, my dear," he said. "But this is all so very sudden. For all we know, the Baby could be born at any minute!"

Raphael nodded in agreement and then glared at Lailah. "Something that would've been nice to know if we had all been informed of this sooner."

Lailah bristled. "You're blaming _me_ for this?"

"The Holy Spirit gave the Child's soul to _you_ , didn't They?"

Joseph loudly cleared his throat, laying a protective hand on the small of Mary's back. "Perhaps it would be wise for you both to settle your differences now, lest you'll drive the rest of us mad with your arguing before we reach Bethlehem."

Gabriel stifled a laugh. Joseph was certainly beginning to grow on him. "He has a point," the cherub said. "What matters now is getting these two there."

"I still think we should use teleportation," Aziraphale said, glancing at Mary's stomach. "It'd be faster, don't you think?"

"We've already talked about this!" Raphael snapped. "Honestly, I knew the third sphere to be dependent on miracles, but I didn't take you for _slothful_ as well."

Aziraphale flinched while Lailah only looked even more furious than before, but stayed silent. Even Gabriel felt surprised by his brother's accusation. "You're being a bit unfair, don't you think?" he said awkwardly. _Aziraphale's annoying, but he doesn't deserve this._

Raphael ignored him. "Since you're so keen on getting to Bethlehem as quickly as possible, why don't you go on ahead? We'll meet you there." Though he spoke calmly, there was still a hint of anger in his voice. "Just make sure Mary and Joseph have a place to stay when we get there."

Aziraphale nodded and gave one final nervous glance to the Holy Couple before vanishing.

"You didn't have to be so harsh!" Lailah immediately reprimanded.

Raphael was already proceeding to walk ahead of them. "Not now, Lailah. Let's just get these two to Bethlehem so that we may finally get on with our lives."

Gabriel winced as he walked beside Mary and Joseph. "I am so sorry about him," he whispered to them. "My brother isn't usually this... uh..."

"Rude?" Joseph offered.

"Pushy?" added Mary, contempt in her voice as she glared at the healer.

"Snobbish?"

"Oh! How about surly?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes as the two humans laughed. "I was going to say _grumpy_ , but fine, let's go with all of those if you want."

Mary spoke again once her amusement died down. "Very sorry, Gabriel, but even _you_ must admit that Raphael has been simply horrid practically since he met us. And take it from someone who has to care for the literal Son of God, I frankly don't care how stressful this must all be for him. That's no excuse for unpleasantness."

"But..." Gabriel trailed off, uneasiness churning in the pit of his stomach. Mary was right. "I'll talk to him." _And Michael, whenever I see her next time._

"Thank you."

Soon, he quickened his pace and caught up to Raphael, but almost immediately found himself regretting it. What could he even say to his brother that wouldn't come off as offensive? "I really need to have a word with you," he began awkwardly.

"Let me guess, you're going to tell me that I was too harsh, right?" Raphael asked without looking at him.

"Uh... yeah, actually."

The older angel sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? And I'll apologize to Aziraphale later. Promise. I've just been under alot of—"

"—stress?" Gabriel finished for him, brow furrowed. "You know, Michael said something similar after I tried to convince her to not replace me as guardian."

Raphael paused and finally looked at the younger angel, hurt in his eyes. "Are you seriously comparing me to _her_ right now?"

"I... guess, but that's not really the—"

"I am _nothing_ like Michael!"

Lilah scoffed behind them. "Oh, certainly not. You've only been disrespecting those who are lower than you in ranking to the point of stereotyping. That doesn't sound like Michael at all."

Raphael growled while Gabriel looked back to see Mary and Joseph exchanging uncomfortable glances. _They shouldn't witness this._ "Hey, Lilah, why don't you and the humans go on ahead?" suggested the cherub. "We'll catch up with you soon."

The archangel's annoyance quickly faded when he spoke, and even Mary and Joseph looked grateful to him. "If you insist, Gabriel," she said and then walked past the brothers with the two humans and animal in tow.

Raphael looked like he wanted to follow, but stayed where he was. "Okay," he began, facing Gabriel once the others were out of sight. "Let me hear it."

Gabriel shuffled his foot. He hadn't actually expected for his brother to cooperate. "Well, it's like you said, you were being too harsh. And you're the patron of travelers, so... so would it kill you to be just a little nicer while we're still here?" He hoped Raphael hadn't been this short with Tobias. "And I know you're stressed, we all are, but if even _Mary_ can keep calm during this time, then—"

"You're right."

"I'm still speaking, so I would really appreciate it if—wait, I am?" _Well, this was way easier than I thought it'd be._

Raphael nodded, seeming amused for once. "Yes, indeed you are. I'm an angel and a healer, and I should be able to get along with my co-workers for the sake of duty. And I meant what I said about apologizing to Aziraphale. And Lilah too, I suppose, now that I think about it."

Gabriel glanced upward for a second. "Oh. That's... that's great." He didn't know why he was so disappointed. Had he really gotten so used to being dismissed by his siblings that Raphael actually listening to him was so surprising? Or perhaps the Archangel was simply willing to oblige for the sake of the Child and nothing more.

His brother had a concerned look on his face when Gabriel looked at him again. "You don't sound satisfied," he said. "Is everything alright?"

Gabriel quickly nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Sorry. Just... I almost thought you'd try to argue with me." Softly, he added, "Like Michael does." No matter how much reassurance she'd given him, it still hurt to know how much of a disappointment he'd been in her eyes after he first came to Mary and Joseph.

Was she really proud of him, or had she only said that so he would stop making a fuss over being replaced?

 _Oh God, she_ was _only say that!_ What a fool he'd been to believe otherwise.

"Gabriel?"

He barely heard Raphael as his eyes began to sting, but Gabriel refused to shed his tears. "I'm fine!" he said just as Raphael began to step closer towards him. "Let's just go. We've wasted enough time already." _I should've just done this at Bethlehem._ For all he knew, Mary was probably about to give birth right now!

Fortunately, Lailah had enough sense to not teleport the humans to their destination, so it didn't take long at all to catch up with them. "That was quick," she said. For whatever reason, she almost sounded _annoyed_.

Before he could reply, Gabriel noticed that some of the food had been laid out on the ground. _Mary must've gotten hungry again,_ he guessed, and then he scrunched his nose. It wasn't the _sight_ of human food that was bothering him, but the _smell_. It almost reminded him of—

"Fish!" Raphael's anger returned as he rushed towards the others, though now it was mixed with worry. "Why is there fish here?" Turning to Mary, he asked, "Did you eat any of it, my lady?"

Mary shook her head, seeming just as disturbed. "Neither Joseph nor I even knew it was there."

 _We've been traveling for_ days _!_ Gabriel thought as he approached his companions. Glancing at the food, he noticed there was salmon among the bread. Salmon was high in mercury, wasn't it? No wonder Raphael was no concerned. _How did no one notice? Unless..._ "Lailah," he began, turning to the archangel. "Did _you_ do this?"

Lailah nodded. "I admit it. We were running low on food, so I—"

"So you decided to miracle one of the things Mary _isn't allowed to eat_ while pregnant?" Raphael made a fist as he took a deep breath before adding, "I simply don't understand how you could be so... _careless_ , Lailah."

Lailah bowed her head. "My apologies, sir," she murmured. "I must've forgotten."

 _"Forgotten?"_ Raphael sighed again and shook his head. Snapping his fingers, the fish was immediately gone. "Go back Upstairs, archangel."

"But—"

"No buts. Just do as I say."

Lailah's eyes flashed with anger before glancing at Mary and Joseph, both of whom stayed silent. Then she looked at Gabriel.

The cherub shook his head. Her carelessness could've seriously hurt Mary or the Baby or both. It was only fair.

When it became clear no one would vouch for her, the night angel gritted her teeth and soon shot up into the sky without another word.

* * *

Raphael tended to Mary and Joseph throughout the day, and not just in terms of their medical needs, either. Perhaps it was his own way of making up for his earlier behavior, but the angel had also taken the time to find more food and water for the pair while making sure they were also mentally well. It appeared he'd truly taken his brother's words to heart.

Gabriel however stood to the side. And for once, he was fine with it, as thoughts of Lailah's recklessness had clouded his mind. It simply didn't make any sense for someone like her to make such an error, _especially_ when she was the head angel of conception. She of all angels should've known better.

And night had already fallen, which meant she was probably watching from the shadows somewhere.

"So." Raphael nearly startled him as he approached him from behind. "Mary and Joseph are already fast asleep, and they now have fresh food and water."

Gabriel only acknowledged his brother with a nod as he leaned against a tree.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Thinking about Lilah?"

"Am I that obvious?" Gabriel asked after giving a small laugh.

"You're better off without her."

 _"Not in that way!"_ Looking up at the stars as an owl perched on the branch above him, he said, "I just don't get how she could've made such a mistake. She's usually more competent than this, isn't she?"

Raphael's only response was the tapping of his foot, and his focus was on the ground when Gabriel looked at him again. "Yes, she usually is..."

Gabriel cocked his head. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking..." Raphael kept tapping his foot while rubbing his chin. Finally, he lifted his head to look at Gabriel again, anxiety written all over his face. "By any chance, has Lailah shown any resentment towards the Almighty's Son recently?"

Gabriel straightened himself, alarmed. "You think she put the fish in there _on purpose_?" He shook his head. It simply _couldn't_ be true! Lailah was a good and kind angel, not a _baby murderer_! _And she was so happy when His soul arrived._ For her to be involved in some sort of nefarious scheme was impossible.

"I don't want to believe it, either," Raphael said gently. "But—"

"But nothing!" Gabriel growled. "Think about what you're saying here, Raph. You expect me to believe that Lailah—the head angel of conception—would purposely try to harm the Lord's Son? Where's your proof? And even if she _was_ guilty, what would her motivation even _be_?"

"Yes, well, that's what I'm trying to figure out." Sighing, Raphael asked, "Are you _sure_ she never said anything to you?"

"Yes, I'm—" Gabriel broke off as memories from the previous night came flooding in. But Lailah had actually seemed concerned for the Child's wellbeing then, so why would she want to cause Him harm? Raphael's theory made no sense no matter how you looked at it. "You're just being paranoid."

"And _you're_ avoiding the question."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Look, all she said to me was that it was unfair that the Child wouldn't get to live a long life. That's it! And do bear in mind that we've been traveling for days with a woman who's apparently going through an accelerated pregnancy! Maybe she really _did_ forget."

"Hm. Maybe." But it was clear that Raphael was still unconvinced.

"What matters now is getting the humans to Bethlehem, right?" Gabriel pointed out. "You can investigate later." _And I'll laugh when you get proven wrong!_ "Now if you'll excuse me, _someone_ needs to be on guard duty, and _you_ don't seem to be in the right headspace to do it right now."

But before Gabriel could get very far, Raphael grabbed hold of his arm. "Wait!"

Gabriel glared at him. "Oh, what—"

"Shh!" Raphael pointed to the nearby tree, where the owl was still perched and staring at the brothers with its large eyes.

"Uh, okay...?" What was he supposed to be looking at? "That... that's an owl, Raph. A nocturnal bird capable of—"

"Yes, I _know_ what an owl is!" Not taking his eyes off the bird, he growled and said more loudly, "But _that_ is no owl! Show yourself, Stolas! I know it's you."

Stolas? The _demon_ Stolas? _He's finally lost it,_ thought the cherub as he wretched his arm away. "It's just a normal bird," Gabriel continued to insist. Demons had a distinct scent to them, didn't they? There wasn't anything foul about this creature at all. Raphael was just looking for a fight.

The Archangel sighed deeply, sword soon in hand. "Right. I keep forgetting you don't have any experience with demons yet."

Gabriel scowled. First Michael had berated him on his lack of fighting experience, now Raphael. Typical. _Maybe I_ should've _just stayed in Heaven._ "Goodnight, Raphael." He turned around without waiting for his brother to reply. _I should talk to Michael about letting him take a break._ He doubted she would mind, at least as far as their irritatingly paranoid brother was concerned.

"Besides," Gabriel muttered to himself, "if Hell _really_ wanted to attack, wouldn't they have already done so?"

"Like now?"

"Why yes, like n—" _Oh, damn it._ A strong, foul odor soon hit the angel's nose, and he tried to ignore his growing anxiety as he summoned his sword. This was his chance to be a hero at last, to finally show Michael just what he was capable of! And okay, maybe he'd have to kill someone he may or may not have known before the Great Rebellion, but what was a little blood compared to protecting the world from evil?

Turning to face his opponent, Gabriel saw that the demon wasn't grimy like he knew most of them to be, but clean and well-dressed, and the infernal creature wore red rather than black. _He doesn't seem familiar,_ Gabriel thought. Which meant this would be easy. "Don't come any closer!" the angel growled, pointing his sword at the enemy.

The demon seemed more amused than frightened as he lowered Gabriel's weapon. "Relax, Gabriel," he said, his voice so deep that it almost sounded like a growl. "My friend and I are here for the Child, nothing more."

"Oh, _is that all_?" They'd have to kill him first if they wanted to get to the Almighty's Son! And the demon had no weapon in hand, so defeating him should be easy, right? A sweep of the leg here, a sword plunge through the chest there... Maybe he'd even throw in some holy water so Hell would _really_ get the message!

He could do this.

He could _do_ this!

But perhaps a warning first. "Begone from this place, demon!" Gabriel growled in his most commanding voice, the way Michael would do whenever she was confronting a wayward angel. "You've no power here! Take another step, and you will soon regret it!"

The demon blinked and then chortled. "Oh, well, aren't you simply _adorable_! Now step aside, dear. I'd hate to kill you so soon after meeting you."

Did _no one_ take him seriously?

"Name's Amon, by the way," the enemy continued. "Demon of Wrath." Smiling, he added in a sing-song voice, "And _I_ am sensing alot of anger coming from you right now. How delightful!"

Gabriel took a step back as the demon drew closer, forcing himself to calm down. "I've no idea what you mean, demon," he said. "Now, this is your _final_ warning. Leave, or perish!"

Amon laughed again while smirking. "I must admit, your persistence is admirable." Then his gaze darkened. "But you seem to have forgotten one thing..." The demon raised his hand, and at once, a fireball appeared in his hand. "And seeing as how I can't spot a single vial of holy water on you, I suggest _you_ leave, or perish."

Gabriel tried not to stare at the hellfire for too long, tried not to let his fear show. He was an angel of the Lord, after all! The fastest in the army. He could take on _one_ demon on his own, right? _Wait..._ Where was Raphael?

As though in answer, a familiar voice came from above. "Don't just stand there! Protect the humans!" yelled Raphael, followed by the sound of clashing metal.

 _Protect the humans._ Right. _That_ was his priority. He'd get his chance later.

Amon glanced upward, a bored look on his face, and that was enough time for Gabriel to put up a barrier between then and zip to Joseph and Mary's side. _It won't last,_ he realized. Suddenly, Aziraphale's teleportation idea was starting to look more and more tempting.

"Get up!" he said, shaking Joseph and Mary.

Mary stirred awake. "Wh-what is it, Gabriel?" she asked, yawning while Joseph rubbed his eyes.

"Demons!" he said, helping them both to their feet before quickly untying the donkey. Beaconing the couple towards him, he added, "Don't worry, everything is being taken care of! But we need to move _now_!"

The urgency in his voice had clearly alarmed them as they exchanged nervous glances.

"Where's Raphael?" Joseph asked as he helped his wife onto the donkey.

"Fighting the enemy," Gabriel replied as he began to lead the donkey further away from the conflict. "He'll be okay, though. And I already put up a barrier between us and them."

This didn't seem to calm Mary in the slightest. "And how long will the barrier last, exactly?"

"Um... a few minutes? Ten, at most."

"And you _still_ want to travel on foot?" Joseph asked in disbelief. "Gabriel, just go with Aziraphale's idea and _teleport_ us to Bethlehem!"

Mary nodded, cradling her stomach. "Yes, please! We must do whatever it takes to get away from here. And at the rate the Child is growing, I'm not sure how long I have before I give birth."

Gabriel hesitated. "Are you sure?" he asked. "What if I hurt the Baby?" He couldn't be a disappointment again.

Mary laid a hand on his shoulder. "Then I'll take responsibility."

"As shall I," Joseph added. "Now get us out of here!"

The angel stared at them. _They're crazy,_ he thought. _Or reckless. Probably both._ Surely they understood what God would do to them—to _all_ of them—if anything happened to Her Son? _No, of course they do._ How could they not? But maybe this was why She had chosen Mary, then—because the woman wasn't afraid to take risks.

Mary squeezed Gabriel's hand in reassurance. "I trust you, Gabriel."

 _I trust_ _you._ The words he would probably never hear from Michael, coming from a mortal's lips. It would have to do for now. Then the angel took a deep breath, and Gabriel soon felt his nerves ebb away. "Okay," he said with a smile. "Let's get you three to Bethlehem."


	4. Chapter 4

If there was ever a time Gabriel wanted to kill Aziraphale, it was now. "What do you _mean_ there's no room?"

The innkeeper—Judah—smiled sheepishly while Joseph held the angel back. "I am so terribly sorry, but I'm afraid a man came by earlier and rented all the guestrooms out."

" _All_ of them?" Whoever the selfish bastard was had better face the wrath of God afterwards!

"Are you sure your guest can't spare one for the night?" Joseph asked. "You see, my wife... I'm afraid she's to go into labor soon."

Judah gasped, and he inclined his head to look at the heavily pregnant Mary, still sitting on the donkey outside. Gabriel didn't need to do the same to know how anxious she was getting. But perhaps seeing her would get them a room out of pity.

And then the innkeeper shook his head anyway. "I wish to help you, truly I do. But rules are rules."

_Oh, damn your rules!_

"Don't either of you have any kin you can stay with?"

" _I_ do, but their rooms are all full," Joseph replied impatiently. "Why don't you let us speak with your guest, then? Surely he wouldn't deny a room to a pregnant woman?"

Judah nodded. "And I _would_ get him... if he were here." Stroking his beard, he added, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in hours."

Hope flared in Gabriel's chest. "Does that mean we can stay, then?"

"It _means_ you'll have to wait for him to get back."

Gabriel gritted his teeth. The _nerve_ of this man to deny them just because someone else beat them to it! _I should smite you both!_ "Listen here, buddy!" he growled while poking the innkeeper's chest. "We've been traveling for days, having come all the way from Nazareth with a heavily pregnant woman in tow, and _I_ for one have been through alot lately, so you really don't want to test me! So here's what you're going to do: give us a place to stay whether you and your little friend like it or not, or _risk facing my wrath_!"

Judah simply stared at the angel, while Gabriel caught Joseph facepalming from the corner of his eye. "Is he usually this... abrasive?" he asked the carpenter.

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" came Mary's desperate voice before Joseph could speak. "Perhaps you know of someplace else we may be able to stay for the night? Anything will do, really."

Judah looked sympathetic again. "Hm..." He paused, and then crossed his desk to go over to Mary. Stopping just at the doorway, the innkeeper dropped his gaze to the woman's stomach and then tapped his foot. _"Anything?"_

Mary nodded.

"Well..." He stroked his beard again when he turned back to Joseph and Gabriel. "I suppose there is _one_ place you can stay at."

* * *

"Are you _kidding_ me?"

"Would you rather I give birth outside?"

"Hmph!" Gabriel crossed his arms, more irritated than ever. A cave was no place for a future king to be born, less so than an inn. But once again, Mary had a point. "No..." After all, she _did_ say _anything_.

"I'm sorry it's not much," said Judah, looking genuinely remorseful.

"Nonsense!" Joseph said while glaring at Gabriel, as though that would be enough to keep him quiet. After paying the innkeeper, he added, "It's perfect. And thank you, friend."

Judah smiled and nodded. "But of course. And I assume you've brought someone along to help with the birth? I'm sure my wife would be more than happy to help."

Joseph promptly nodded as Gabriel began to feel uneasy again. Why hadn't he waited for Raphael first? "Our friend should be here, shortly," the carpenter said. "But thank you. We shall keep that in mind."

Soon, the innkeeper left, and cloth was laid on the ground almost immediately afterwards. "Lie down, my lady," Gabriel instructed after he helped her dismount. "Comfortable?"

Mary nodded and kissed Gabriel's hand. "As I can be."

"Are you certain that Raphael will be here before the birth?" Joseph asked worriedly as he kneeled beside his wife. "Perhaps we should've taken Judah up on his offer after all."

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm sure that won't be necessary. And Raphael's a strong and capable angel. He'll be here soon." _I hope._ "I'll inform Heaven of this in the meantime." _And then_ _yell_ _at Aziraphale about lying to us_. Where in the world _was_ that principality? The younger angel had sent a message earlier about finding someplace for the couple to stay, but that clearly hadn't been true.

 _I can't worry about that now!_ Gabriel thought as he went a few feet away from the cave. If Aziraphale was being negligent, then Michael would simply deal with him later. Miracling some candles and drawing his oldest sister's sigil into the ground after lighting them, he quickly and quietly said the words used to summon her.

_Please answer!_

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long, as Michael's face appeared soon after. And she looked irritated, but what else was new? "This better be good, Gabriel!"

 _Nice to see you, too._ "We've arrived in Bethlehem," he said. "And the Virgin has said that she feels the Child is nearly ready to be born."

He half expected for Michael to get angrier or frazzled or even just faint, but all his sister did was click her tongue.

"You don't believe me?" Gabriel asked, hurt.

"Oh, I do," she said casually. "I just can't believe you called me just to waste my time. Didn't you realize that Aziraphale would've already informed me of this?"

He could almost hear her calling him an idiot. "O-of course I did," he said, heat rushing to his cheeks as he briefly looked down. "I simply wanted to be absolutely sure that you knew, just in case." Clearing his throat, he then asked, "Where _is_ Aziraphale, anyway?"

"I sent him to get witnesses," Michael replied. "And I assume you and the humans have made it to the inn?"

"Oh, uh..." Gabriel shuffled his foot. _Looks like she doesn't know_ everything _, then._ "Well, you see, Michael... the thing is—"

"Commander!" interrupted someone from the other end. Whoever it was, Gabriel felt eternally grateful to them. "Here's the robe you asked for."

Michael turned to the other angel, and there was an immediate spark in her eyes as she growled. "I said _pearl_ , you idiot! This is _clearly_ eggshell! Do you _want_ to embarrass Heaven in front of your future king? Try again! Wait, no, on second thought..." She looked at Gabriel again. "Talk to you later, little brother. Right now, I need to teach Haniel here about the different shades of white. Let me know when the Child is born, okay?" The connection went out before Gabriel could reply.

Not for the first time was he glad to be on Earth.

"Okay," he said to himself as he miracled the candles and summoning circle away. "So I guess all's left to do is wait for Raphael." That wouldn't take long, right? His brother would be here in no time.

"Gabriel!" Joseph's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, sounding suddenly frantic. "I take it Raphael isn't here yet? Or some other childbed angel, perhaps?"

Gabriel shook his head when he turned to him. "Sorry."

"Ah." The carpenter rubbed his hands together despite it not being cold. "Well, uh... in that case... you should know that Mary thinks it's time for her to give birth."

* * *

"Have you ever delivered a baby before?" Mary asked before letting out another anguished wail.

"I've... delivered a lion cub before," Gabriel said helpfully; it'd been after he saved Daniel from getting mauled and eaten. "Does that count?"

"Not really—ah!"

Gabriel then turned to a pacing Joseph. He couldn't do this alone. "Go get the innkeeper's wife," he ordered. Usually, he didn't like asking for help, but now wasn't the time to let his pride get in the way of a delivery.

Joseph nodded and kissed the top of his wife's head before dashing out of the cave.

"H-hurry back. Ow!"

Gabriel held Mary's hand, which she squeezed tightly, like a vice. "I-it'll be alright, my lady," he said while wincing; since when was she so strong? "This'll all be over soon."

Oblivious to his words—and his pain—the woman threw her head back. "Oh, why did I agree to this?" she groaned, as though talking to God. And perhaps she was. "Why couldn't You have at least made this easier for me?"

Gabriel chuckled nervously as the animals nearby began to make some noise. _Don't encourage her!_ "Maybe we _shouldn't_ question the Almighty's decisions while you're in labor with Her Son."

Mary glared at him. "I'd like to see _you_ try and bring another human into the world from your _stomach_!" she growled.

 _Ah._ There's _the mood swings._ "Just continue breathing and then push when you feel a contraction." _I hope I got that right._ Maybe they should've gotten Elizabeth to come along with them as well. Or Lailah. _I should've vouched for her._

"We're here!"

Gabriel felt an immense wave of relief wash over him when he heard Joseph's voice. _Thank you, God._ He turned to see a older looking woman beside Judah as he stood. _That must be his wife._

"Thank you," the woman said to Gabriel before taking his place to kneel beside Mary. "I can take care of things from here. Why don't the rest of you go wait at the inn? You know, the place this poor woman should've been staying at in the first place!"

Judah's face turned red at his wife's words. "Are you sure, Naomi?"

"I gave birth to your five children, didn't I?" she deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. Now go! I'll let you three know when we're done here."

Gabriel didn't need to be told again.

"Why don't I get us some drinks?" Judah offered as soon as they stepped outside. "Or we could simply talk to pass the time."

Joseph nodded wordlessly, though he seemed to barely be listening as he followed Judah back to the inn. "Are you coming, Gabriel?" he asked when the angel didn't do the same.

Gabriel shook his head. "I need to take care of a few things first. You go on ahead." He walked away without waiting for a reply.

* * *

Most angels liked to spread their wings on nights such as this, and Gabriel was no exception. His wings had never been as strong compared to those belonging to his brother and sisters, but he didn't let that stop him from taking in the beauty of the starry, cloudless night; one in particular seemed to shine brighter than all the others. Such a perfect time for a Savior to be born.

 _Don't get distracted,_ Gabriel told himself as he scanned the ground. There would be time for a flight later. Right now, he needed to find Aziraphale.

The city of Bethlehem was in the distance now as the cherub passed by several trees and animals, until he took notice of a pasture and suddenly felt drawn to it. He could see nothing but sheep, but Aziraphale had to be near if he was sensing his aura. Carefully, he landed before tucking in his wings and was quickly greeted by the gentlest of God's creatures.

"Hi there, little guy," he said softly while petting the lamb after kneeling in front of it. "You wouldn't happen to have seen another angel around here, huh?"

The lamb simply bleated and nuzzled against Gabriel's chest, and the cherub wasn't sure why he expected anything otherwise. Then again, animals were meant to be more sensitive towards the supernatural, weren't they?

 _Well, at least you're cute._ It was almost a shame this would all be gone in a few millennia. "Okay," Gabriel said as he stood, "so if there are sheep here, there must be some shepherds nearby." Maybe _they_ knew where Aziraphale was.

The lamb got his attention by bleating again and began to tug on Gabriel's robe.

"Hey! Cut it out!"

It actually listened to him this time and began walking away, until it stopped and turned its head back to him.

"You want me to follow you?"

It bleated once again, which was probably supposed to be a _yes_.

"Well, okay then..." _I just hope no one else is actually watching this._ He still had his dignity to maintain, after all. Still, he followed the baby animal in silence, and the further they went, the more Gabriel began to hear voices. Soon enough, a group of shepherds came into view, with most of them having their backs turned to him, enraptured by what another one of them was saying.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I was wondering if any of you knew where—Aziraphale?"

As the shepherds turned to him and stood, he caught sight of a familiar face, whose eyes flickered in recognition. "Gabriel! What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be traveling."

Gabriel crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, about that..." How _daft_ could one angel be? "Why didn't you just say you couldn't make reservations at the inn?"

Aziraphale looked puzzled. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

Apparently _this_ daft. Gabriel shook his head. "Whatever, we can talk about this later." Sweeping his gaze from one shepherd to another, he asked, "I assume these are the witnesses?"

Aziraphale nodded, while the shepherds looked skeptical. "I'm afraid they don't believe me about the Child, though."

Gabriel gave a deep sigh and rubbed his temple. "I have to do everything myself here, don't I? Okay." A second later, the older angel unfurled his wings and flew a few feet from the ground as a bright light began to emanate from him. If this didn't convince them, he didn't know what would. "Greetings, mortals," he began. "I am the angel Gabriel, and you—" He cut himself off when he noticed the humans' terrified faces. "Oh, no." _Three, two, one..._

And then the screams came.

"You see," Aziraphale said as the humans began to run away, " _this_ was why I didn't just do that."

* * *

It'd taken a few hours, but eventually, the shepherds agreed to come with the angels back to the cave, likely so they would be left alone afterwards. Why Aziraphale hadn't just gathered some of the citizens of Bethlehem to serve as witnesses, Gabriel didn't care enough to ask, though he guessed it'd been on Michael's orders. _I should've just asked her where he was while I still had her attention._

As before, Gabriel took them the easy way back to Bethlehem via transportation, and soon, the angels, shepherds, and flock of sheep—the humans refused to leave them behind—were just outside the cave.

"I just don't understand how there was no room," Aziraphale said once they arrived. "I made _certain_ to make reservations as soon as I got here earlier."

"I'm sure you did," Gabriel grumbled. How did he ever respect someone so scatterbrained? "Now come along. Mary should be done by now." He led them inside and was relieved to see that Mary had indeed finished given birth, and Joseph was at her side once more while the Baby was wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger. They both looked tired, but the love they already held for the Child couldn't have been more obvious.

"Gabriel."

"Hm?" The cherub turned his head away from the new family and grinned when he saw the angel coming towards. "Raphael. You made it," he said while hugging his brother.

The Archangel laughed. "Of course I did! You didn't think I would miss such a momentous occasion, did you?"

"And the demons?"

"Discorporated them. Hopefully they won't be bothering us for awhile." Raphael then looked over Gabriel's shoulder and smiled. "Hello there, Aziraphale."

The principality flinched when the Archangel addressed him. "Oh. H-hello, Raphael. I'm terribly sorry if I—"

"Please, don't apologize for anything. It's I who should..." Raphael stopped and glanced at the Holy Family. "Actually, why don't we talk later, if that's alright with you?"

Aziraphale hesitated, but then nodded while giving a shy smile. "That sounds lovely."

"Wonderful. Now go and greet your future king while I tell Michael about this."

Gabriel nodded, but with each step he took, he felt the reality of the situation finally beginning to settle in. Here he was, in the presence of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the _Son of God_. It was one thing to deliver His soul and an entirely other thing to see the Child in the flesh.

_Am I really worthy for this?_

His parents clearly didn't like him. In fact, _no one_ seemed to like him, much less respect him. Why would the Son be any different? _Michael had the right idea to replace me after I nearly literally scared the Boy's mother to death!_ And what if he _had_ accidentally killed Mary, then?

He really _was_ a disappointment, wasn't he? God would probably bring Her wrath down on him at any moment.

 _I should've made sure everything was ready._ He'd practically tagged along unofficially, after all. He hadn't had anything to do this entire journey, so if anyone was to blame for everything going wrong, it was _him_.

What if Hell tried to attack again?

What if he got demoted, or worse?

What if—

"Gabriel?" Mary looked up with the Baby in her arms. "Would you like to hold Him?"

And what if he was simply worrying for nothing?

"It would be an honor, my lady."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incident with the inn is in reference to [this](https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/188009708391/hey-i-know-this-is-short-notice-but-could-you). And I know it's popular that the baby Jesus was born in a stable, but I wanted to go with the more traditional version for this one and reference the [Church of the Nativity](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity).


	5. Chapter 5

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh—whatever the last two were—were presented to the sleeping Child with as much seriousness as a promotion ceremony. It wasn't like little Jesus would have much use for them anyway, but maybe his parents would.

"We hope you enjoy these gifts," said the darkest of the wise men—Melchior. Apparently he and his friends had traveled somewhere from the East and had come to Bethlehem after following a star, and while Gabriel had found the entire thing strange, he supposed everything about it was still relatively harmless enough.

"Thank you," Mary said, and placed the items on a nearby table —Judah had finally given them a a proper place to stay after Aziraphale explained that not all of the guestrooms had been for him alone. "Your visit is very much appreciated."

"Will you be staying long?" Aziraphale asked, his eyes wide with fascination. "I'm sure you have all sorts of stories from your travels!"

"Oh, certainly!" said Caspar, the stoutest of the gift-givers. "We've actually been to Judea recently, and—"

"And perhaps you shall recount this to our new friend in another room?" suggested Balthazar while glancing at Mary and Joseph, both of whom looked just about ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"Er, yes, of course!" Bowing his head to the humans and young Savior, Casper added, "And thank you for having us. May the Child grow happy and healthy."

As soon as the wise men and the angel left, Mary and Joseph both sighed and slumped against each other on the bed. " _Now_ can we go to sleep?" asked the woman, almost pleading.

Gabriel laughed softly. "Yes, now." Glancing at the crib where the Child lay, he added, "I'll look after our young Lord in the meantime." He picked up the cooing Jesus before Mary could reply and then left the room, closing the door behind him. "Well, looks like it's just you and me tonight, kid."

The Baby giggled and clapped afterwards, though Gabriel doubted He actually understood a word he'd just said, so asking Him what He wanted to do was immediately out of the question. So, what did one do with a baby?

 _Oh, I know!_ "Why don't we go meet the rest of the family? Would you like that?"

Little Jesus simply blinked, and Gabriel decided to take this as confirmation. Soon, they passed by Aziraphale's guestroom and went downstairs, and were at once greeted by the sight of the primary leaders of the nine spheres, along with Raphael and Uriel. Perfect timing.

All of them were gathered around a table like it was a war room, but it didn't take long for Michael to notice them. "There you are!" she said with a wide grin. As the other angels bowed their heads, Gabriel instantly knew she wasn't talking to him.

Approaching them, Michael soon took the Baby into her arms, and her eyes were then alight with affection. Had it not been for the love she showed her siblings on occasion, it would've been odd to see. "Welcome to the world, little one," she said softly.

Gabriel noticed that unlike with him or even Aziraphale, the Baby had a blank expression on His face as Michael continued to hold him. Did this mean He didn't like her? _Don't be ridiculous_! Gabriel told himself. _He's a_ baby _, He doesn't even know right from wrong yet._

Soon, Raphael and Uriel joined them.

"He looks almost completely normal," Uriel observed. And Gabriel knew she wasn't talking about the Child's physical appearance, either; his aura resembled that on an average human's, but among the gray were bits of blue and gold and just about every color imaginable. Indeed, He truly was God made flesh.

"Let's hope it stays that way for awhile," Raphael said. "His ministry isn't supposed start for a long time as far as humans are concerned."

"Still," Michael began, "it'd probably be a good idea for one of us to stay behind anyway, to ensure He uses His powers for good. Oh, would you like that, little one?" The head Archangel began to bounce the Baby in her arms as she cooed at Him.

"Uh, Michael..." Gabriel began. "You might not want to do that. Mary just—"

"Blegh!"

"—fed him."

Michael held out little Jesus as she clenched her teeth. "Take Him," she told Gabriel. "And someone get me a new robe!"

Couldn't she just miracle the mess away?

"Shall I get the eggshell or the ivory one, commander?" Haniel chimed from behind her while Gabriel cleaned the Child, and it was clear he and the other leaders were struggling not to laugh.

Michael looked her over shoulder and growled. "Ivory," she said at last. "In fact, why don't you _all_ go back Upstairs? I'll be joining you shortly."

They—including Raphael and Uriel—all left a mere second later.

Michael sighed when she looked at the mess again and snapped her fingers to miracle it away, something she should've just done in the first place. "You're lucky You're cute," she said to the Baby before turning to Gabriel. "Anyway, it's good to see you again, Gabriel."

 _Is it?_ " The feeling is mutual, Michael." He hoped she didn't catch the strain in his voice.

"Shall we take a stroll?" she asked. "It feels like it's been _ages_ since we've spent any time together."

 _Well, I wonder whose fault_ that _is!_ But maybe this was his sister's way of making it up to him. Still, an actual apology would be nice as well. Gabriel nodded a moment later, and after placing Jesus back in His crib, he and Michael were soon out the door.

And it was only afterwards did he realize that they had nothing to talk about. Instead, the two angels simply walked in silence. Didn't Michael at least want to spread her wings and fly?

"You did well, by the way."

Gabriel paused. "Really?" He smiled, but it quickly faltered. He couldn't let himself get his hopes up. _She'll just put me down later._

Michael gave a curt nod and looked like she wanted to say more, but then her attention was on the stars and there was suddenly a pained expression on her face. "She's taunting him."

"Huh?"

"See that star?"

He followed her gaze and realized she was talking about the bright one, the one the wise men must've been following. "Yeah. What about it?"

"That's Lu— _Satan's_ work. The very first star he ever created."

Gabriel shuddered, now understanding why Michael seemed so upset. Rarely did they speak of Before, and having _his_ star show on tonight of all nights seemed to be the farthest thing from appropriate. "Are you okay?"

Michael took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Fine. Just... you know he'll take offense to this, right? I'm pretty sure that star has been up for awhile now, but regardless, I want you to stay on Earth with Aziraphale to protect the Child."

Gabriel failed to fight back a grin. "Like a guardian?"

"I said to protect the Child, didn't I?" Despite her sternness, a slight smile formed on her lips. "But yes, like a guardian. Just don't get too comfortable, okay? This is only until we're absolutely sure Hell won't be a threat to Him."

Which meant it'd probably last until His death. He'd finally gotten his second chance! "I understand completely. Thank you, Michael! You won't regret this, I promise!"

"Hm." She looked up at the night sky again as she spread her golden wings. "Make sure I don't."

* * *

"Wine?"

"God, _yes_!" Normally he wouldn't drink on the job—or at all—but putting a crying baby to sleep had been much harder than he thought it'd be. _Thank you David and Goliath._ "I hope Mary and Joseph are ready for the next few years."

Aziraphale chuckled as he poured the drink. "And I'll be with them every step of the way. Granted, I know absolutely nothing about raising children, but—"

"We."

"What?"

" _We'll_ be with them every step of the way." Gabriel raised the cup to his lips to stop himself from scowling. Why was he still feeling bitter over this?

Aziraphale gasped while his eyes shined. "Oh, how wonderful! In that case"—he refilled Gabriel's cup and then poured wine into his own—"a toast! To... uh... our partnership!"

Why did he have to phrase it like that? "Right..." Now he remembered why he was still bitter. _I should've told Michael about what happened with the inn._

Aziraphale was completely oblivious to Gabriel's dismay. "This is all so very exciting, wouldn't you agree? Do you think He'll inherit the Almighty's powers? What about—"

"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" His words came out colder than intended, but at least it got the principality to stop talking. Forcing a grin, he added when the younger angel frowned, "Sorry, Aziraphale. It's just been a _really_ long day, is all. You understand, right?" _Well, great. Now_ I'm _beginning to sound like Michael!_

Aziraphale nodded hesitantly. "Er, yes. Of course." Then he paused and said a moment later, "I'm still so terribly sorry about tonight."

"And I said it was _fine_ , Aziraphale." _Now could you stop bringing it up?_

"Although," he continued, as though Gabriel hadn't spoken at all, "I suppose this _would_ make for an interesting story for future records—the Son of God sleeping in a manger. Almost fitting, actually."

Gabriel sputtered, nearly choking on his drink. "I hope you don't mean that as an insult."

Aziraphale quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no! It's just that, His parents are already poor, and... What I mean is... You know what, why don't I just stop talking?"

"Please!" Gabriel groaned and rubbed his forehead. "In fact, why don't you go back upstairs and listen to more stories from those magi or whatever they are?"

Aziraphale actually seemed hesitant to speak again, but eventually did. "They're actually sleeping at the moment. Though, now that you've mentioned them..."

_Oh, good Lord!_

"Gabriel, what do you know of King Herod?"

"Herod?" Gabriel lifted his head. "Just that he's the king of Judea and has a nasty temper on him."

"Yes, that's what I thought..."

"Why?"

"Balthazar told me about how they met him recently and that they would send word to the king later so he too could worship Him." There was uncertainty in Aziraphale's voice as he said this. "But like you, I've heard the king could be quite... unpleasant."

"You don't trust your new friends?"

"I don't trust _Herod_." Then Aziraphale gasped again. "And hasn't there been demonic activity going on recently?"

"Last month, yes." And earlier, but the principality didn't need to worry any more than he already was. Still, demons were nothing if not persistent. _And if what Michael said about Satan was true..._ "Why don't I talk to Heaven about this?"

"That would be wise, I think," Aziraphale said as he stood. "Thank you. I'll check on the Holy Family in the meantime."

"Excellent." He could leave Aziraphale alone with the humans for a _few minutes_ , right? There was no Forbidden Fruit for them to eat or anything. _Yeah, he'll be fine._ If Michael still trusted him, then why couldn't he? What was the worst that could happen?

* * *

"So, you wish for me to send scouts to Herod's palace based on... what, exactly? A feeling?"

"Er, something like that." It sounded ridiculous the more Gabriel thought about it, but it was better to be safe than sorry, right? And Herod only lived a few kilometers away from Bethlehem, so wasn't that just more reason to check up on him? "And Michael, you said so yourself that Satan may attack."

Uriel squirmed in her seat at the mention of the demon king. "You'd think he'd enlist the help of a human to get to the Child?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

Raphael drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne. "I think we should look into this," he said at last. "Just in case. And we can never know with Hell."

Michael sighed. "You're practically asking me to waste resources here! But... I do see where you're coming from. I'll have a few guards posted at Bethlehem. That includes you, Uriel. Raphael, you may go with Cherubiel and Jophiel to the palace. Report back to me immediately if you find anything."

Raphael and Uriel both gave little salutes and took off at once.

"Thank you," Gabriel said as soon as they were gone. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Hm." Michael stood and patted Gabriel's cheek. "Let's just hope you haven't wasted my time, little one. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to guardian duty for good. Understood?"

Gabriel gulped. It was extraordinarily rare for Michael to bluff. "Got it."

"Good."

* * *

Aziraphale was reading by the time Gabriel returned, something the principality was apparently completely oblivious over until the cherub cleared his throat. "Oh, Gabriel! You're back!" Setting the scroll down, he asked, "What did Michael say?"

"She's going to post some guards around Bethlehem, and sent Raphael, Cherubiel, and Jophiel to Herod's palace to investigate." Taking a seat beside the principality, he asked, "So, how are the Chosen Ones? I thought you'd still be in their room."

"Oh, I was, but then Lailah came by and—"

"Wait, what?" _Lailah?_ Didn't Raphael practically relieve her of her duties for this mission? "She's here?"

Aziraphale nodded, clearly confused by Gabriel's surprised. "Yes...? I thought you knew she was coming by. She said that Raphael sent her to check on the Baby. Come to think of it, why wasn't she with you when the Child was born? I meant to ask earlier, but it must've slipped my mind until now."

Gabriel shook his head and pushed down his apprehension. "Raphael didn't tell me about any of this," he said at last. Why was he so worried? It was _Lailah_ , for Heaven's sake! And he hadn't even believed his brother when they were talking about her earlier. _But the fish..._ "He probably just forgot." Just like how Lailah forgot that Mary couldn't eat fish in her condition. Clearly the stress of the day was finally getting to him.

 _Still, maybe I should..._ Where was the harm in checking up on her? Not because he was suspicious, but because he wanted to see his friend again.

Gabriel was just barely aware of his legs carrying him up the stairs, and before he knew it, he was already standing right outside Joseph and Mary's room. It was silent on the other side, so they must've still been asleep. _I'll just pop in and out, then._

But the door swung open before he could even touch it, and out came Lailah. Beautiful, frazzled Lailah, holding the baby Jesus in one arm. She let out a gasp as soon as she saw him and bowed her head for a brief second. "Gabriel! What a pleasant surprise."

Gabriel crossed his arms, refusing to take his eyes off his youngest charge. "I could say the same about you," he told her. "So, what exactly are you doing with the Baby?"

Lailah glanced at the Child. "The little one was getting fussy just now, so I thought it'd be a good idea if we looked at the stars together."

"Right..." _Let's just ignore the fact that He's sleeping right now._ "Mind if I join you?"

"Oh, no!" As though realizing she'd protested too quickly, she added, "I mean, you've had so much time with Him already. I just wanted to do this on my own before I go back Upstairs."

"Uh huh..." Careening his neck towards the ajar door, Gabriel asked, "And Mary was just okay with it? After you nearly killed her earlier?"

He half expected see to something akin to anger or regret in her eyes, but Lailah stayed perfectly, almost eerily calm at his words. "For the last time, I forgot and I'm sorry. Besides, she and Joseph still sleeping."

"So you're taking Him outside without permission? Instead of just, I don't know, looking out the window to watch the sky or something?"

Lailah scoffed, finally showing some fury. "What is this? An interrogation?"

"Do I look like Raziel to you?" He laughed nervously, only for it to die down when Lailah glared at him. _What am I doing?_ "Right. Sorry, Lailah. Raphael and I had an encounter with a couple of demons earlier and I guess I'm still a little jumpy about it."

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, goodness! Are you alright?"

"Fine. Mostly." Seeing her so worried made Gabriel relax. She was still on Heaven's side. One honest mistake wouldn't change that. "Um, are _you_ okay? I'm really sorry about Raphael, by the way. And for not vouching for you."

Lailah shook her head. "It's fine. I know how it must've looked. But... thank you. You're a good friend, Gabriel. I hope you know how much I appreciate you."

Why did she sound so sad when saying it?

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." She began to walk past him, but didn't get very far before Aziraphale approached them and blocked her path, his eyes wild with fear.

"It seems we have a problem," he said, his voice shaking. "Or two."

Gabriel stepped in between the two lesser angels. "What's happened?" he asked, attempting to stay calm. As the eldest of the three, he needed to be.

"Herod's men are coming to Bethlehem, and I believe they're here for the Child. And I don't think it's to worship Him."

"And the second thing?"

"It appears that demons are involved."

 _Shit!_ "Okay!" Gabriel clasped his hands together. "Not to worry. Angels should be stationed in the city by now, so that already takes care of the demon problem!"

"And Herod?"

"Uh... same for him!" _I think._ "But just in case, I'll get the Holy Family out of here, you warn the other humans. Lailah, you can—oof!"

"I'm sorry!" She'd shoved them both aside and bolted downstairs, and it'd taken Gabriel a second to process what had just happened before dashing until he was in front of her again. Apparently she'd forgotten his specialty.

Gabriel glowered at her. "And where do you think _you're_ going?"

Lailah took a few steps back as she held the Child close to her chest. "Please. I don't want to hurt you."

"Right, and I'm the Queen of Sheba!" Gabriel clenched his fist, hoping it would be enough to do away with the ache in his heart. Raphael had been right all along. "Hand over the Baby, Lailah."

"I... I can't!"

"Why not?"

She hesitated, sucking in a breath. "Do you remember what we talked about the other night? About how He'll die young, and how I believed that nothing would change?"

Gabriel slowly nodded. "So, what? Are you trying to prevent that from happening?"

"Not exactly." She shook her head before continuing. "I'm trying to kill Him."

 _Trying to..._ Gabriel stared at her, mouth agape. This had to be some sort of bad joke, right? No angel in their right mind would dare kill someone who wasn't a demon, and Lailah's plan didn't even make any sense besides.

"You can't do that!" Gabriel didn't even notice Aziraphale approaching them until he'd spoken. "Lailah, He's a _baby_!"

"You think I don't know that!?" she snapped, causing the Child to whimper a bit. Lailah paid no mind to this. "You don't understand."

Gabriel took a single step towards her. _Easy now._ "Then make us understand." _And quickly._ "What is this about?"

Lailah looked surprised by his reaction, but then her face softened. "You know my feelings on the Child's destiny already. And I'm not too much of a fool to think I'll be able to prevent Him from dying young, so then I thought, why have Him live at all? And even _if_ His death won't be in vain, what kind of life will He have but one filled with suspicion and fear?" The night angel then let out a sob. "I'm showing Him mercy."

"Mercy!?" Only then did Gabriel remember himself and repeated more softly. "Mercy?" He wanted to laugh at Lailah's stupidity. How dare she talk to _him_ about mercy? "We understand why you're doing this, Lailah," he continued, taking another tiny step and he felt cold steel against the palm of his hidden hand. He was almost close enough to touch her shoulder now. " _Don't we_ , Aziraphale?"

To his relief, the principality got the hint. "Oh, er... yes! Indeed we do."

She sniffled. "I really don't want to hurt anyone. I even left Mary and Joseph alone when I took Him, when I could've easily used their own shadows against them in case they woke up. So I'm handing him over to Herod, so that he may do away with the Child himself."

Aziraphale covered him mouth, presumably to stop himself from saying the wrong thing.

 _Not that I'd blame him._ Lailah had brought danger to Bethlehem and didn't even have the heart to go through with the murder herself. It only made her look even more pathetic than anything. But as disgusted as he was, Gabriel couldn't help but pity her as well. How long had she felt this way? She seemed perfectly fine before. Or had centuries of watching so many new souls return to Heaven so soon finally made her snap?

 _There'll be time for this later!_ Regardless, she could certainly say goodbye to her position as head of conception after this.

_Wait, that's it!_

"Lailah." Aziraphale continued to walk towards the other two angels until he was at Gabriel's side. "I know it may seem hopeless now, but don't you still think that all life is ultimately precious in the end? You should know that more than anyone."

 _So, looks like he had the same idea._ Maybe Aziraphale wasn't completely incompetent after all.

Lailah seemed to have taken his words to heart, as she nodded afterwards. "Yes, I... I suppose you're right."

 _She's waning!_ "Death is inevitable, Lailah," Gabriel said. "And the world is a scary place thanks to Adam and Eve." Beside him, Aziraphale flinched, but the cherub decided to ignore this. "But by your logic, does that mean _no_ human deserves to live because of the dangers that lay ahead? And you enjoy delivering new life, don't you?"

Her eyes twinkled then, as though she hadn't just admitted to wanting the Son of God dead.

 _How did I never notice how unhinged she was?_ The sooner she got back to Heaven, the better. "And since both Aziraphale and I have been assigned to watch over Him, we can guarantee right now that He'll live a happy life! And you trust us, don't you?"

Lailah nodded as Gabriel took another step. "I suppose I do."

"Good!" He flashed a grin and gently pulled her closer to him, just as he had done the other night; the Child was near his own chest now. "Because I don't."

"Wh—ah!"

Gabriel plunged the dagger into her back and quickly grabbed the Child before she crumpled to the ground. She writhed in pain, and though it wouldn't be enough to kill her, it would certainly be awhile before she could fly again. For a second, he almost thought about removing the weapon, but quickly thought against it.

Lailah looked up at him with pleading eyes, but no words came despite her open mouth, save for a strangled sound.

"Gabriel..." Aziraphale stared at Lailah, shaking like a leaf.

"It's okay, Aziraphale," Gabriel said softly while touching the principality's shoulder. "Just make sure the other humans are safe, okay? I'll get Mary and Joseph out of here."

He nodded, still in a daze, but eventually went back upstairs in the direction of one of the other rooms.

Gabriel glanced at Lailah again. It was a pitiful sight, really, seeing her so helpless. One minute more, and she'd be discorporated. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Lailah," he said, knowing he meant it. But he'd get over this betrayal quickly, just as he'd gotten over the others; as a soldier, he had no time for grief. _She's Heaven's_ _problem_ _now._

Right now, he had a virgin mother, a carpenter, and a divine baby to protect.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of a trigger warning: a character gets impaled in this one.

Herod's men still hadn't arrived by the time Gabriel had snuck the Holy Family out of Bethlehem, but Mary was still worried.

"Are you sure the guards won't follow us?" she asked, holding the Baby close to her.

"Positive, my lady." _Demons on the other hand..._ And they still didn't know about Lailah's involvement, but they already had enough to worry about and had yet to encounter any more infernal creatures tonight. Hopefully Aziraphale had simply been mistaken in his reporting.

"I hope everyone else will be safe," Joseph said as he led the donkey further away from his home, but refusing to look back. "I just don't understand how the king could so monstrous!"

Mary nodded. "Jesus is only a _baby_. What harm could He possibly do?"

 _Steal Herod's power from him with His influence?_ "Well, neither of you have anything to worry about now!" _I, on the other hand..._ As he glanced back at the city of David, he realized the night wasn't over for him yet. "Can you two make it to Egypt on your own?"

The humans nodded. Whatever fear they'd felt before had quickly been replaced with renewed determination.

"Excellent." Then he kissed each of their foreheads, blessing them. "In that case, Godspeed." He rose up into the air as they waved goodbye to him, and soon, they were off again. For the first time in what felt hours, Gabriel felt like he could breath again. "They'll be okay."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Gabriel's blood ran cold, recognizing the deep voice at once. _Amon!_

"You know, we really _must_ stop meeting like this. I thought you angels knew better than to let your guard down by now."

Gabriel whirled around to face the smug demon, summoning his sword once more. "If want to kill the Child—"

"Kill Him?" Amon sounded genuinely surprised by the accusation and then laughed. "Oh, you sweet thing. We don't want to _kill_ Him. We're not monsters, unlike your God."

Gabriel growled, eager to come to the Almighty's defense, but that wasn't a priority right now. "Likely story."

Amon waved a hand. "Believe what you want. But even _you_ must admit that the Child is worth more alive than dead."

Gabriel began to process the demon's words. "You want to kidnap him?" he realized.

Amon nodded, proud he'd guessed correctly. "Indeed. Can't you just see it? The little one using His powers for delicious evil and eventually going up against His own Parent!"

Gabriel _could_ see it, and the thought was horrifying. "That's never going to happen!"

Amon briefly looked down; the Holy Family could still be seen from up here. "Yes, I can see how annoyingly determined you are to prevent that from happening."

"I thought my persistence was admirable."

"I've changed my mind." The demon of Wrath looked at him again, smirking. "Which is why I think I'm going to deal with _you_ first."

Gabriel gripped the hilt of his sword. "If we're going to fight, at least summon your own weapon first. It's only fair."

"Hm, true." But rather summoning a sword or dagger or even his own hellfire, Amon simply landed, and Gabriel followed. "But I think I've had enough excitement for one night. Wouldn't you agree?"

Gabriel scoffed. "I think we have very different definitions of what that word means."

Amon simply shrugged. "Well, anyway, I'd much prefer to simply talk for now. I don't think we knew each other in Heaven. Not that well, at least."

 _He can't be serious._ As far as Gabriel knew, no demon liked to talk about Before; it was practically forbidden! _But fine, I guess I'll play along._ Perhaps doing so would get the demon to leave faster. "First Fall or Second?"

"First, of course!"

"And which rank were you to be assigned to before the Great Rebellion?"

"Throne," Amon proclaimed, a faint hint of pride in his eyes. "Though I was already good friends with plenty of other angels outside of that. Cherubiel especially."

 _Well, now I_ know _he's joking!_ He caught the demon's meaning immediately. "She's never mentioned you."

Amon rolled his eyes. "Because _you_ spend the rest of _your_ free time reminiscing about the old days, right?"

 _Okay, good point._ But there was no way Gabriel was going to admit it aloud.

Then the demon laughed again. "If only I realized before I wasted so much time with her just how weak she truly was."

"Cherubiel is not weak!" Gabriel snapped.

"Was."

"W-what?"

Amon's eyes briefly flashed red in his amusement. "Was. As in she _was_ not weak. Which is in itself a contradiction, if I do say so myself. Oh, you should've seen the look on her face when I—"

"What are you saying?" It was a stupid question, one he immediately regretted asking as he felt the grip on his sword loosen and throat tighten.

Amon feigned sympathy. "Oh, dearie. I think you know exactly what I'm trying to say. But I can tell you now that she at least died bravely while trying to prevent us from entering Bethlehem. She and _so many_ other angels."

Gabriel stared at him, barely aware of his sword falling to the ground, and he along with it. Amon was a demon, and demons always lied. He'd just seen Cherubiel the other night, talking and laughing with her. She'd been _fine_ then. Perfectly healthy. Perfectly capable of taking on a couple of demons.

But not if it'd been a whole army.

And what about Raphael? Hadn't he been with her? Was Uriel dead too? Aziraphale, or even Lailah? _It can't be just me and Michael!_ Unless _she_ was dead as well? What if he was the only survivor to such a massacre?

"Oh, there, there." Gabriel felt Amon rub his back as his eyes began to sting. And then he heard the unsheathing of a sword. "You'll be with them soon."

Gabriel jolted upward and rolled to the side before Amon could cleave his head off. He couldn't die. Not now. And if he truly was the last angel left, then he might as well go down fighting. "You won't win!" he proclaimed, weapon in hand once more.

Amon almost seemed impressed. "We'll see about that."

And on they fought, parrying and thrusting and dodging each other's attacks, neither willing to budge whenever their swords met. It was almost like a dance, if angels could do so, with the only music being the clashing of metal on this otherwise silent night.

_I am an angel of the Lord, and I won't be bested by a demon!_

"Tired yet?"

"Never!"

"Good." Amon gave another smirk. "I was beginning to wonder if you were worth it. _God_ certainly doesn't think you are."

"Don't you dare bring Her into this!"

"I only speak the truth, Gabriel." The demon placed his sword back into its sheath. "I don't want to fight you, dear. Quiet the opposite, really."

"What are you talking about _now_?"

Amon laughed again. "Don't you think it's strange that you're the only one of the original Five who hasn't become a seraph yet? Not counting the Morningstar, of course, though I've no doubt in my mind that he would've become one before you."

"What's your point?"

Amon ignored him and began to circle around Gabriel like a vulture. "I'm just saying," he began, "after so many centuries of loyalty, you'd think God would've given you _something_ as a reward by now. Instead, from what I know, you've _slowly_ been rising through the ranks, was punished severely for refusing to punish Israel, and now you're stuck with watching over Her little _brat_. Did I leave anything out?"

Gabriel growled as he reassumed his fighting stance. "She loves me!"

"Oh, yes. Because nothing says love like a fiery blow." Amon stopped behind him and touched his back again; this time, Gabriel flinched. "Tell me, how many was it again?"

 _Sixty._ Gabriel refused to answer him aloud. God had forgiven him for his disobedience long ago. _She loves me, She loves me. I_ know _She loves me!_

"You can join us, you know." Amon was close to his ear now. "You'll get more respect. And if I know Satan, he'll promote you to prince immediately afterwards. You'll get your own throne, and everyone will obey you without question. Doesn't that sound nice?"

It did. But not at the cost of his morals. "I would rather _die_ than join you!" Before he knew it, they were fighting again. How dare he try to recruit him after admitting to killing Cherubiel?

 _Cherubiel..._ He never even got to say goodbye to her. He never got to say goodbye to anyone, if everyone else was truly dead. So if anyone deserved to die, it was the demon standing before him.

And Satan.

And every other treacherous wretch who'd dared to go up against the Almighty. He'd make sure of that once Armageddon came.

The wicked did not go unpunished.

"Gabriel."

He'd make sure to avenge his fellow angels, no matter the cost. First Cherubiel, then, his siblings, then—

"Gabriel!"

Gabriel's body jerked when he felt someone hug him from behind.

"You've done your duty, little brother. Now please stop."

 _Uriel?_ Gabriel slowly turned his head to see his sister's dark face, just as the sun finally began to rise. "You're alive," he croaked. He should've been far more excited, but the adrenaline had already left him. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers as a show of affection. "You're alive."

She only gave a weak smile, and just as Gabriel was about to stand, he felt something wet and sticky underneath his hand. _Huh?_ He glanced down and was suprised to see that it was blood. When had he drawn blood? And there was _so much_ of it, especially on his robe.

"Gabriel." She said his name more sternly this time. "Come away. And don't look back."

"Where's Amon?"

Uriel was silent as she began to lead him away before he could even retrieve his sword. She'd always been quiet, but never evasive.

So he looked back, and immediately wished he hadn't. Because just nearby lay the mangled body of Amon, dark red blood still dripping onto the ground. His sword hadn't been unsheathed again at all, but Gabriel's own blade was plunged in so deep that it went right through him, and his face was stuck in a permanent grin.

What had he done?

Gabriel felt his stomach drop as he continued to stare. The more he looked, the more certain he was that Amon was no longer alive. He had wanted the demon to die, but not like _this_. _But he's still a demon,_ he told himself. _He deserved this._ There was nothing that could be done now.

Weakly, he raised a hand to call forth his sword. And as soon as the weapon was removed, the corpse disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

"Michael, stop! You're embarrassing me!"

"And I'll keep doing so for however long I like!"

Gabriel had cleaned up as soon as he returned to Heaven, before anyone could see him. The stains had come off without issue, but he knew that the scent of his enemy's blood would stay with him forever. _Just as well,_ he'd thought. He better get used to it now if he was ever going to participate in the Final Battle. Amon was going to die sooner or later anyway, as was the ultimate fate of all demons. And after the massacre, him meeting such a gruesome end only seemed all too fitting.

_You've done nothing wrong._

Gabriel reunited with Michael in the courtroom later that day, but before he could give his report, she'd immediately showered him with hugs and kisses, and the other leaders—the ones who had survived Amon's attack, that is—looked on with tired amusement. And perhaps... _envy_?

The cherub eventually pushed his sister away. Didn't she realize she was being insensitive? "I'm _fine_ , Michael. Really. Now, about my report—"

"That can wait," she said, which surprised him. What was going on? "For now, sit beside me." She tilted her head towards the throne besides her, which caused Gabriel to feel uneasy once more.

Because it was Cherubiel's throne.

 _She doesn't expect me to take her place, does she?_ No, that was ridiculous. It was likely that Ophaniel would be the new head cherub once the grieving period was over. Sill, he did as he was told. "So, what is this about?"

"You'll see," Michael whispered to him, and then said to the guards, "Bring in the prisoner!"

Prisoner? _Oh, no..._ He'd almost forgotten about Lailah.

Soon, the doors opened, and another pair of guards entered, dragging a bound Lailah in with them. To her credit, she somehow managed to keep calm despite her current disposition. Surely she knew by now exactly what Michael was capable of?

_Is there going to be another Fall?_

All around him, angels looked at her with pure hatred while Michael appeared as cold as ever. "Lailah, archangel of night," she began, "you have been accused of conspiring with the human king Herod of Judea to kill the Almighty's Son. How do you plead?"

Lailah lifted her head, a lack of fear in her eyes. "Guilty."

Some of the angels jeered at her, while the leaders of the third sphere looked like they all really wanted to attack her right now.

"Execute her!" said Jophiel from Michael's other side, and most of the other leaders were quick to agree. "She's already admitted it!"

Michael raised her hand to call for silence. "I will decide on her punishment once this is over. Raziel!"

The head archangel immediately stood from his throne, his body tense. "Yes, Your Glory?"

"What information have you managed to extract from our latest traitor?"

Raziel quickly glanced at Lailah, his expression completely unreadable, and then teleported to address them all. Standing beside his treacherous sister, he said, "As we all know by now, Lailah here was working with Herod to kill the Child, thus causing the deaths of at least a dozen other children. God rest their souls."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Gabriel hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud until everyone's eyes were on him. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. "I didn't know." _Those poor children!_

"It happened while you were helping the Holy Family escape," Michael explained, and then quickly turned back to Raziel. "Continue."

Raziel nodded and flashed a sympathetic glance at Gabriel before speaking again. "But I'm afraid that's not all I've found. Apparently before this, Lailah had also hired a couple of demons to get to the Child, until she found out Hell wanted Him alive instead."

Gabriel stared at Lailah, who'd been avoiding his gaze since she arrived. He felt his heart breaking all over again. Just how deep had her betrayal run? And did those demons include Amon and Stolas, too?

Michael scraped her fingers along the arm of her throne. "Does this make her indirectly responsible for the deaths of five hundred of our fellow angels as well?"

Five _hundred_? _What the Hell, Lailah?_

Raziel shook his head. "Well, not exactly. We all knew that Hell was going to go after the Child anyway, so..." He trailed off upon seeing Michael's glare. "B-but it's indeed a possibility! Especially if she told them where Joseph and Mary were headed."

Lailah huffed, clearly not happy with being made a scapegoat.

 _You deserve worse!_ Gabriel thought. Any sympathy he'd felt for her had evaporated.

Raziel continued. "Earlier, she also attempted to feed Mary some fish—salmon, specifically—whilst feigning forgetfulness."

"Salmon?" Michael was clearly confused.

"It's high in mercury," Haniel explained. "Poison. So had Mary consumed it, it could've hurt the Child or worse."

Michael acknowledged his words with a nod while the other leaders looked even more disgusted than before. "Well, Lailah," she began coldly. "You've certainly been a bit of a Fallen angel lately." She looked like she wanted to say more, but then let out a deep, shaky breath instead. Gabriel took the time to hold her hand in comfort, which she seemed to appreciate.

"I did what I thought was necessary."

Michael and Gabriel snapped their heads back towards the archangel. "Necessary?" echoed the seraph, her eyes darkening. She stood right in front of Lailah a second later, and something about his sister seemed different somehow. "Tell me, Lailah," she continued more loudly this time, her voice echoing throughout the room. "Was making nefarious deals with our enemies _necessary_?"

Lailah didn't even blink. "We must all make painful choices. You should know that more than anyone, commander."

Gabriel bit his lip. Was Lailah _trying_ to get herself killed?

But surprisingly, Michael didn't seem offended in the least. Indifferent was more like it. "Do you not have any regrets, then?" Suddenly, the room's usually warm temperature began to drop as Michael grabbed Lailah by her cloak. "Do you see any of their faces in mine? Can you imagine their terror? Hear their screams? See their _blood_?"

Lailah suddenly recoiled with a shriek, falling to the floor. "My actions will haunt me for eternity." Her own voice cracked when she said this while she trembling.

 _She's being tortured,_ Gabriel realized. Enough was enough. Lailah had already plead guilty, why not just punish her and be done with it? "Michael, maybe we should just move on."

But Michael either didn't hear him or didn't care. "You should have thought of that before you tried to kill a _child_ , you reckless angel!" she snapped; Gabriel could've sworn her voice was changing. "How dare you? How dare you try to harm **MY SON**!"

At once, every single angel present fell down to their knees. Gabriel had always known that Michael had a special connection with the Almighty, he'd just never known to what extent until now. Was _this_ why she believed she deserved to be the Voice of God instead of the Metatron?

By now, his sister—or her body, at least—was literally glowing. **"I DO NOT WISH TO HARM YOU, LAILAH,"** She said in an almost familiar motherly tone, though it was distorted. **"BUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS A GREAT BETRAYAL AGAINST HEAVEN."** Pacing, She added, **"I CANNOT FELL YOU, LEST THE ENEMY GAINS ANOTHER DEMON. AND I CANNOT EXECUTE YOU, FOR THERE HAS BEEN ENOUGH DEATH ALREADY."**

Then She paused and turned to the angels behind Her, until Her deep blue eyes met Gabriel's green ones.

_Oh, no._

**"GABRIEL."**

He gulped. "Yes, Mi—Lord?"

**"YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST MERCIFUL OF MY ANGELS. TELL ME, WHAT SHALL I DO WITH LAILAH?"**

_Merciful. Right._ She had to have known about Amon, surely? "Well, um..." _Come on, think!_ It was only his old friend's future he'd be determining here. But the night angel couldn't be allowed to live, either, could she? What if she tried to go after Him again? _I don't want her to Fall or die, though_. If only there was some way for her to remain neutral for the time being.

_Wait..._

Or maybe there _was_.

"The archangel Lailah has caused much suffering already," he said at last. "And if she has as much regret as she claims to have, then why not let her live with her guilt?" He paused to study Her—Michael's—face, and She seemed intrigued enough, so he continued. "Just as she has been responsible for providing life by delivering souls, let her be responsible for reaping them upon death as her primary duty. I'm sure Azrael could use another pair of wings to assist him as the humans continue to populate the Earth, and she would be neutral besides."

If Lailah had any objections to his suggestion, she did well to hide them.

God tapped Michael's foot. **"I SHALL THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE SAID, MY DEAR,"** She said at last, and he knew She would go through with it eventually. **"REGARDLESS—"** She turned back to the angels in front of her— **"RAZIEL, TAKE NOTE."**

The archangel of mysteries nodded, scroll and writing utensil in hand.

**"HENCEFORTH FROM TODAY, LAILAH, ARCHANGEL OF NIGHT, FOR THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF MY SON AND THE INDIRECT MURDERS OF THE SONS OF BETHLEHEM, YOU ARE HEREBY RELIEVED OF YOUR DUTIES AS HEAD ANGEL OF CONCEPTION UNTIL I—THE LORD YOUR GOD—DEEM OTHERWISE. SO IT IS WRITTEN, SO IT SHALL BE DONE!"**

Despite there not even being a skylight, a bolt of lightning suddenly crackled in the room then, right where Michael's body stood, and then it crumpled to the ground afterwards as the glow began to fade. Gabriel was at his sister's side immediately—or at least, he _hoped_ this was still his sister.

A groan came from the body a moment later, and slowly, the eyes began to open as well. Not God's blue, but Michael's brown ones. "What happened?" she asked weakly.

Gabriel ignored her, but petted her hair as a way to keep her calm. "Guards, take Lailah away," he said to the stoic angels. "The rest of you are dismissed."

It'd only taken a second for them all to leave the room.

"Gabriel?"

Helping her stand, he said, "God arrived and stripped Lailah of her position as head angel of conception."

He expected her to ask why she couldn't remember, but instead, she said, "That's it?" She sounded disappointed.

"Well, she _might_ also become an angel of death in the near future."

This alarmed his sister. "Oh, sure. An attempted murderer becoming a reaper. With a scythe and everything. Because that makes sense."

Gabriel offered a smile, hoping it'd be enough to mask his anxiety. He wanted to ask what'd just happened, if God possessing her was such a common occurrence that she didn't seem fazed by it in the slightest, if the Almighty could do the same to any one of them...

But he didn't. Because what would be the point? _She clearly doesn't even remember, so I guess there's no use talking about it anyway._ "You know there are restrictions."

"And _you_ know I can't help but worry." Sighing, Michael added, "But I suppose it's better than nothing. Now come. Let us get ready to pay our respects."

* * *

Though it'd made him feel uncomfortable at first, Gabriel decided to stay until after the funeral was over before returning to Earth. Every rank had lost someone, not just the cherubs, and he found himself hating Lailah all the more for it.

"Congratulations on your first slaying, by the way," Michael said after Azrael had scattered the ashes belonging to their deceased friends into space. Like the primary angel of death, she and everyone else were wearing black today. "Uriel told me."

 _Uriel, why?_ "Did she now?" Before, he would've soaked in the praise, but it didn't seem appropriate now.

Michael nodded. "She also said it was an accident."

 _Uriel,_ why _?_ Did it even count as an accident if he'd been wanting to kill Amon anyway? "Should we really be discussing this now?" Gabriel glanced back at the sorrowful angels who were still kneeling in front of the stained glass that depicted their fallen brethren.

Raphael fell in beside them. "Gabriel's right, Michael," he hissed, a mix of worry and fury in his eyes. "Besides, he nearly _died_. I really don't think it's the right time to start praising him."

Gabriel tried not to be hurt by Raphael's wording. _Now is a time for mourning._

Uriel spoke before Michael could reply, her markings flashing in irritation for a few seconds. "And _I_ really don't think it's the right time for you two to start arguing again!" Sighing, she turned to Gabriel and said, "Why don't you go check up on the Holy Family?"

Gabriel started to nod, but then asked, "Wait, what about Aziraphale?" He indicated to the kneeling principality with his head as they passed him.

Michael's eyes turned cold. "He's been taken off this case." She didn't bother to elaborate, instead choosing to exit the closest thing Heaven had to a memorial site without them.

Gabriel stopped and his brow furrowed. "She _does_ still trust Aziraphale, doesn't she?"

Both Raphael and Uriel remained silent, which was all the confirmation Gabriel needed.

"You two _do_ know he had nothing to do with Lailah's scheme, right?"

"We know," Raphael said, though their other sister looked more wary. "Just... did he ever say _how_ he knew that Herod's men were marching towards Bethlehem before any of our own guards could spot them? Same goes for the demons, actually."

"Um..." That _did_ seem a little suspicious now that Gabriel thought about it. "I just assumed he'd gone out for a quick flight and spotted them from the air," he said at last. "Look, I don't like Aziraphale, but I can tell you both right now that he's completely innocent. He even _warned_ me they were coming."

Raphael seemed satisfied, but Uriel did not. "Well, regardless," she replied, "it's _your_ time to shine now. Go to your charges. We'll be in contact with you soon."

* * *

Gabriel found the Family living with a small Jewish community not long after entering Egypt. Joseph was nowhere to be seen, but Mary was cleaning while little Jesus was still sleeping. She seemed to be at peace, as she deserved to be.

"Mary."

Mary gasped, but instead of bursting with excitement, the woman grabbed the broom and turned to wield it like a sword. "Back off! I'm—oh! It's just you, Gabriel."

Just _you, Gabriel?_ "You really need to relax sometime, you know that?" he teased, forcing out a chuckle. "Anyway, where's Joseph?"

"Market," she told him as she set the broom aside. "I've been here all day, trying to preoccupy myself." Gripping onto her cloak, she then asked anxiously, "I-is it true what the people are saying? That there was a massacre in Bethlehem?"

Gabriel frowned. For a moment, he thought about lying, but he quickly thought against it. Angels didn't lie, especially to their charges. "It's true," he said at last, which caused Mary to immediately break down into a sob. Touching her shoulder, he added softly, "But it's not your fault."

Mary sniffled. "I know. But all those poor boys... they were completely innocent!" She proceeded to cry profusely after she and Gabriel sat down, and he let her rest her head on his shoulder.

 _Poor girl._ He wished he could do something to ease her pain, but though he wasn't a healer, he knew there was nothing strong enough to mend a broken heart. "It's going to be okay, my lady," he said. "And if it helps, Herod will get his comeuppance soon." Well, soon by supernatural standards, anyway. How old was the king again?

Mary's eyes and face were red by the time she stopped crying. "Gabriel?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Will you teach me how to fight?"

Gabriel shuffled away to get a good look at her, hoping she was joking. And then she looked at him with large, pleading eyes. _Oh, no._ "Why?" was all he could say.

Mary looked at him as though he were stupid. "Because in case you've forgotten—" She briefly turned her head to look at Jesus—"our lives have been put in danger, what? Twice now? Three times if you count the fish." She shuddered. "I just think it'd be a good idea if Joseph and I learned how to defend ourselves."

Gabriel could see her point, but... "I don't think that'll be necessary, my lady. As your guardian, you'll have me to protect you for quite some time."

Mary's imploring expression turned into an incredulous one. "Then can you guarantee that no one else will come after my family from now on?"

Gabriel hesitated. "Um... well, no, but—"

"So teach us how to fight." She clearly wasn't going to take _no_ for an answer.

 _I'm being ordered around by a human._ Strangely, he wasn't bothered by it, but he still silently thanked God that no one was around to witness this. "Very well, my lady."

"Mary."

"Pardon?"

Her face brightened slightly. "Please. If you are going to become the family guardian, then I insist you refer to me only by my given name from now on."

Gabriel considered her request, soon finding he couldn't think of a single reason to deny her. It was a harmless one, and since he was going to be living with her and her family for who knew how long, why not? "As you wish, my... Mary."

_No attachments._

This wasn't him getting attached. This was just him making sure one of his charges was as comfortable as possible, as any good guardian should do.

 _So I can never tell her about her Son's fate._ Ignorance was bliss, wasn't it? And Mary had already proven to be a bit of a risk-taker; who knew what sort of trouble she'd get herself into if she knew her Son was meant to die for the sake of everyone else? He was doing the right thing.

Gabriel then held Mary's hand and kissed it, feeling more relaxed than he had in days. "You'll have nothing to worry about so long as I'm around, sunshine. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you can all figure out what Michael being suspicious of Aziraphale eventually leads to. 
> 
> Also, just because I couldn't find a way to word it within the story itself without the flow feeling clunky, I want to take the time to point out that Lailah is already associated with death in Jewish lore, being responsible for leading a person's soul to the afterlife according to Howard Schwartz. At least in my fics however, there are different types of death angels, with Azrael, aka Death himself, being the primary reaper (separating the soul from the body).
> 
> Interestingly enough, according to Gustav Davidson, Michael and Gabriel are also associated with death, but they obviously aren't here, or at least it's not a priority for them like it would be for, say, Azrael. 
> 
> Anyway, kudos to anyone who caught the reference to a certain musical, and thank you so much for reading. I hope to be back to working on the main story sometime next month, but in the meantime, stay safe, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! May 2021 be better.


End file.
